Bioethics is an area of study focused on influence of moral and ethical principles on medical practice and scientific research.
The concept of Bioethics can be quite complex, so it is important to keep in mind that there is no single definition. In general, it studies what are the best solutions to ethical conflicts, to be able to meet medical needs without disregarding important values for patients and society in general.
Ethics in the choice of treatments for patients or in the development of research are examples of cases in which Bioethics is important to guide the best decisions.
This study involves at least two areas: Ethics and Biology. Besides these, Bioethics can be influenced by studies coming from Biotechnology, Bioscience, Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, Law and Sociology.
The 4 Principles of Bioethics
Bioethics has four principles that must be analyzed to resolve ethical dilemmas regarding health care or treatment. The principles are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.
1. Autonomy
The principle of autonomy determines that the patient's wishes regarding treatments must be respected. Knowing this, health professionals must act respecting these personal and moral principles.
The principle has some exceptions, such as: urgent care in which there is a risk of death, diseases that must be mandatorily notified or when the patient does not have decision-making capacity.
2. Charity
The principle of beneficence determines that medical treatments must be applied considering the maximum benefit with the least amount of damage.
Charity is the medical obligation to do what is best for the patient, choosing treatments that do not cause harm or that cause the least harm possible.
3. non-maleficence
This principle is related to beneficence and determines that health professionals must do everything possible to avoid intentional harm to patients.
The objective is to prevent patients from having to deal with other pains or losses in addition to those that already exist as a consequence of their health condition.
For example, whenever possible, the use of medications that have side effects, pain or other health damage should be avoided.
4. Justice
The principle of justice determines that access to medical care and health care must be fair, taking into account the needs of patients.
It defines that health professionals treat all patients with the same care and attention, without differences in treatment due to social, cultural, ethnic, gender or religious issues.
It also refers to equality in evaluating the most appropriate treatments for each situation. For this, it is necessary to consider both the patient's moral and ethical values, as well as the reality of their health and the need for treatment.
Bioethics in Philosophy
The concept of Bioethics is studied in Philosophy for its connection with the concepts of morals and ethics and for their importance in bioethical analyses.
Considering these concepts together with the ethical concern in medical procedures, one of the main concerns of Philosophy is the humanization of care. This area also helps to determine the moral and ethical limits in conducting scientific research.
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle they are even today sources of knowledge for very important questions in Bioethics. Some Socratic reflections, such as the concern with ethics and the awareness that there is not only one correct point of view on a subject, are fundamental in medical ethics.
Plato questioned, for example, the quality of an experience marked by illnesses and the desire to prolong an unhealthy life.
Aristotle's concept of prudence summarizes the ability of prior analysis to make decisions and avoid losses. Prudence can be related to the principle of beneficence, which should inspire health professionals to seek the best treatment for their patients.
What is the importance of Bioethics?
Bioethics has become increasingly important because the evolution of medicine and the emergence of scientific innovations create new questions about the ethical limits of medical conduct.
Bioethics helps to understand what these limits must be considered in scientific research and medical procedures in more sensitive areas. The aim of Bioethics is to facilitate that procedures are in accordance with the most cultivated ethical and moral values in each society.
In addition to health, Bioethics can be important in issues such as regulation of changes genetics in (transgenic) foods or in drug and cosmetic tests that are carried out in animals.
Application of Bioethics in Health
The aim of Bioethics in Health is to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment for their situation, without the chosen treatment violating their personal principles.
Some examples of issues that should be carefully analyzed in the health area:
- conducting research involving the human genome;
- moral sense and ethical limits in cloning research and testing;
- ethical and moral issues about having an abortion;
- decision on the most appropriate treatment;
- right of choice for euthanasia procedure;
- meaning of death with dignity and assisted death;
- use of stem cells for research,
- freezing and disposing of eggs in fertilization procedures in vitro;
- decisions on transplants and organ donation.
Application of Bioethics in Nursing
In Nursing, Bioethics is relevant for recognizing the importance of the profession and the care that nurses must have when providing care to patients under their care.
One of the main objectives is to ensure that the work of nurses is provided in the most humanized as possible, with a balance between planning the necessary care and the humanization of the attendance.
Some examples of the application of Bioethics in Nursing are:
- administering palliative care in terminally ill patients,
- important decisions about nursing care in unconscious patients.
- development of a trusting relationship between nurses and patients.
History of Bioethics
The concept of Bioethics was used for the first time in the publication of the book Bioethics: a review of the ethical relationship of humans in relation to animals and plantss. The book was written by Fritz Jahr (1895-1953) and published in the 1930s.
When he created the concept, Fritz was referring to the respect that should base human beings' relationships with nature, arguing that this relationship could not fail to consider ethics.
Bioethics as we know it today emerged a little later, in the 1970s, from the work of physician Andre Hellegers (1926-1979).
He was a pioneer in studying the application of ethics in medical practice, especially in human reproduction, with a focus on ensuring patients' dignity and respect for ethical values.
Bioethics in Brazil
In Brazil, Bioethics emerged a few decades ago, precisely in the 1990s. The concept became even more important in the country after the creation of laws regarding the practice and ethics of medicine.
Other factors that influenced the growth of interest in Bioethics in Brazil were research on human genome and cloning and the creation of regulatory bodies, such as the Brazilian Society of Bioethics, founded in 1995.
It was only in the early 2000s that Bioethics gained more importance in the country. With more interest in the topic, more research was done and several events on bioethical research were held.
Brazil also gained more specialization courses on the subject, which increased the number of professionals with specialized training in Bioethics.
See also the meanings of ethic and moral values.
