Showing 7 results for Ethical Decision Making
Farzaneh Zahedi, Bagher Larijani,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2012)
Abstract
Research ethics, as one of the main issues of modern bioethics, has attracted the interest of scientists and ethicists in various areas of science and technology around the world. Research Ethics Committees (RECs) have been established to improve putting ethics into practice in the field of research. RECs, fortunately, have received a great deal of attention in different countries, and their mission, goals, and tasks have been described in many national and international guidelines. Ethical guidelines for biomedical research and RECs administrative regulations have been developed in Iran too. The need for special training courses for capacitating members has been emphasized in both international guides and our national administrative regulations for RECs. In this brief article, we present suggestions concerning course presentation and contents, which are provided by international assemblies. In view of the fact that many RECs in our country do not have specific plans for their members' primary training and continuing education, there seems to be a need for fundamental changes in the educational prerequisites for membership in this important organization.
Leila Safaeian, Shiva Alavi, Alireza Abed,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (8-2013)
Abstract
Ethical decision making is an important issue in medical professional ethics. Recent advances in medical sciences and development of new ethical issues in medical ethics have added to the importance and specific complexities of this issue. In fact, ethical decision making is a manifestation of moral values in practical work. In this study, the ethical decision making process in medical ethics has been reviewed in Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (A.S.)’s views in Nahj al-Balagha. Therefore, the issue of ethical decision making in various scientific articles and resources were studied and examples of ethical decision making, its components and its determinants in Nahj al-Balagha were analyzed. In Ali (A.S.)’s word, the ethical decision-making components include knowledge and insight, trust, counseling, adherence to moral values, objectivity, commitment to justice, responsibility, privacy, confidentiality, obedience to law, monotheistic belief and human dignity. In Nahj al-Balagha, the barriers to ethical decision making include: the inability to predict and evaluate the probable consequences, hastiness, being overcome by feelings and financial incentives. In conclusion, according to Ali (A.S.)’s views, physicians’ decisions can be ethical when they perceive their profession not as a means of financial gain, but rather as a moral responsibility, and consider both human and divine rights in their professional practice.
Ensieh Madani, Zahra Khazaei,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (7-2015)
Abstract
Virtue ethics is an agent-centered approach that is concerned with good and bad character rather than right or wrong action. It is based on the virtues and moral character of the agent. Morality of the physician is emphasized in medicine as well, which demonstrates its affinity with virtue ethics. Nevertheless, a theory of applied or medical ethics should provide a criterion for ethical decision making by instructing what should be done, something which, according to some philosophers, is incompatible with virtue ethics. This article aimed to demonstrate how virtue ethics can offer rules and guidelines by resorting to the moral agent and emphasizing virtues, and help physicians to make decisions when faced with dilemmas. For this purpose, examples about abortion and selling kidneys for transplantation were provided.Some of the most important advantages of virtue ethics include: context-dependence and attention to relevant realities the importance of emotions and the likely motivations of the people involved and finally emphasis on exemplar based on the sensitivity and practical wisdom of the virtuous agent. These advantages cause virtue ethics to be better positioned than other approaches to solving problems in medical ethics.
Malihe Kadivar, Mansure Madani, Marjan Mardani Hamooleh, Nazafarin Ghasemzadeh,
Volume 8, Issue 5 (2-2016)
Abstract
Chronic renal failure in infants is a life-threatening condition that can also severely affect their families. Patients and their families are under great physical, mental and social pressure, and therefore require medical, palliative and supportive care. Moreover, ethics has an important role in care for these infants and their families. The purpose of this study was to identify an ethical approach to providing medical, supportive and palliative services for infants with chronic renal failure and their families. The study was based on a case report in the Medical Ethics Grand Rounds of the Children's Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. The case pertained to a male newborn infant with diagnosis of renal failure. Assessments indicated severe bilateral hydronephrosis and multicystic dysplastic kidneys accompanied by high creatinine levels. The patient underwent surgery but further evaluations revealed a low glomerular filtration rate accompanied by elevated blood pressure. The physicians suggested insertion of a catheter for CAPD (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) after the initial peritoneal dialysis until a kidney transplant was performed. The proposal, however, was rejected by the parents and the patient was discharged by their consent. A few weeks later, the infant expired at home. It seems that health professionals need effective ethical strategies to offer medical, supportive and palliative services for infants with chronic renal failure and their families
Zohre Kohansal, Nosrat Avaznejad, Behnaz Bagherian, Faezeh Jahanpour,
Volume 11, Issue 0 (3-2018)
Abstract
Nurses need to be familiar with the ethical issues of nursing and its sensitivity to all communications and interventions with patients. This sensitivity as a basis for nursing ethics should be considered from the beginning of nursing education. This study aimed to investigate the moral sensitivity of nursing students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the ethical sensitivity of 73 nursing students using standard questionnaire of ethical sensitivity of nurses in decision-making. Its validity and reliability were confirmed in previous studies (α=0.8). Dimensions of the questionnaire were: amount of respect for patient independence, level of knowledge about the relationship with the patient, level of professional knowledge, experience of difficulties and ethical conflicts, and the use of ethical concepts in ethical decision-making, honesty and benevolence. 0-50 were considered as low moral sensitivity, 50-75 as moderate, and 75-100 as high. All nursing students of the third and eighth semester were enrolled in the census in 2016. The average students' moral sensitivity was moderate (68.15±13.99). The highest average was for "honesty and benevolence", and the least for "professional knowledge" and "the use of ethical concepts in moral decision-making". The average moral sensitivity of the eighth semester students was higher than the third semester. There was a significantly relationship between students' moral sensitivity and academic term (p=0.000). Low ethical sensitivity in nurses leads to inappropriate decision-making; therefore, appropriate educational programs should be considered to increase the moral sensitivity of nurses and nursing students from the beginning of education.
Saeedeh Saeedi Tehrani, Fatemeh Bahmani, Mina Forouzandeh, Akram Hashemi,
Volume 14, Issue 0 (3-2021)
Abstract
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers aspired to produce an effective vaccine with appropriate efficacy and low side effects to mitigate the pandemic. It seems that vaccination is the only mean to save the world from this pandemic. In this article, we will review the ethical challenges of mass vaccination (focusing on the vaccine distribution and uptake), referring to the main principles of bioethics. Safe and standard manufacturing and passing scientific and ethical stages, as well as evaluation of efficacy and safety monitoring, are the main considerations in the production of vaccines. Justice requires that vulnerable and high-risk individuals be vaccinated sooner. Public vaccination must therefore be ethically prioritized. Individuals may for some reason resist vaccination. For example due to, the confusion caused by mass media information, public’s distrust of the medical profession, the proposed relationship between vaccination and development of certain diseases, and finally low death rate due to covid 19 in some groups, especially young and healthy individuals. However, as the disease is highly contagious and if it spreads, the death rate and hospitalization due to the disease rises sharply, and the consequences of the disease mainly affect vulnerable people, in moral decision-making, the benefits and harms of the vaccine for each person should be considered against the benefits for and harms to the society. In addition, to respect the individuals’ autonomy, cultural modalities and persuasive programs shall be considered. This article is aimed to address the ethical issues of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout while proposing practical solutions to handle them.
Nafiseh Momeni, Mojgan Alaeddini, Shahroo Etemad-Moghadam,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
Various decision-making dilemmas arise for clinician in their practice, and one such dilemma involves dealing with medical or dental errors. Despite efforts to minimize errors and prevent harm to patients, complications arising from diagnostic or therapeutic mistakes can sometimes be irreversible. In such situations, it is crucial for dentists to engage in ethical encounters with their patients and investigate the root cause of the error. In this study, an approach was suggested for the management of detection of diagnostic error in pathology using the World Dental Federation ethical decision-making model.
