Four Public Health Ethical Principles
The distribution of resources in public health involves many ethics or ethical principles. The main ethical principles include: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. These ethical principles can affect how a rural areas distribution of resources to public health is viewed among those distributing the resources and those receiving them.
Autonomy can be considered the act of respecting the decisions or choices made by others ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). This ethical principle may be considered important when considering distributing of resources, when determining where the resources will be distributed and who they will be distributed to. A resident or number of residents in a rural area may make a choice …show more content…
not to accept the necessity of a planned parenthood facility or the need to hire a mental health professional. Public health professionals would have to understand and respect the autonomy of the resident or these resident’s decisions.
Beneficence is associated with the necessity to present good actions to all people ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). When distributing resource this ethical principle, would be considered necessary when distributing resources to rural areas that may not find them necessary, acceptable, or useful.
Nonmaleficence is an ethical principle that requires one not to do harm to others ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016).
When considering the distribution of resources in rural areas, public health professionals must consider the ethical principle nonmaleficence, in order to provide adequate resources to the appropriate areas needing care.
Justice may be one of the most important ethical principles involved with the distribution of resources in public health. This ethical principle notes the requirement to provide all people with what they deserve, and the requirement to treat people equally and fairly ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). When distributing resources in public health it is essential that all rural public health areas receive justice when they are receiving resources.
There are conflicting viewpoints of these ethical principles, specifically, autonomy. Autonomy requires that one respect the decisions or choices a person may make ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). In a rural area a public health professional may be in the process of treating a resident with a chronic illness that could be successfully maintained with proper medical treatment. If this resident decided not to pursue medical treatment, and rely on holistic and/or religious healing methods; the public health professional would have to respect the autonomy of the resident, while also respecting their conflicting viewpoints (Warren & Smalley,
2014).
Justice is an ethical principle that can also present conflicting viewpoints when treating residents, without insurance in public health locations. The ethical principle justice states that one must treat all equally and fairly, which should apply when providing medical treatment ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). If a rural area resident is uninsured, and known by the care provider outside of the health care location conflicting viewpoints may arise when providing treatment (Warren & Smalley, 2014). The health care provider may feel that they are justified to provide treatment but legally bound not to if the patient does not have insurance; this may cause conflict between the resident and the care provider or the care provider and the health care location.
References
Four fundamental principles of ethics. (2016). Web.mnstate.edu. Retrieved 2 November 2016, from http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Four_Basic_principles.htm
Warren, J. & Smalley, K. (2014). Rural public health: Best practices and preventive models. Springer Publishing Company.
Tamara Edwards
Autonomy can be considered the act of respecting the decisions or choices made by others ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). This ethical principle may be considered important when considering distributing of resources, when determining where the resources will be distributed and who they will be distributed to. A resident or number of residents in a rural area may make a choice …show more content…
not to accept the necessity of a planned parenthood facility or the need to hire a mental health professional. Public health professionals would have to understand and respect the autonomy of the resident or these resident’s decisions.
Beneficence is associated with the necessity to present good actions to all people ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). When distributing resource this ethical principle, would be considered necessary when distributing resources to rural areas that may not find them necessary, acceptable, or useful.
Nonmaleficence is an ethical principle that requires one not to do harm to others ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016).
When considering the distribution of resources in rural areas, public health professionals must consider the ethical principle nonmaleficence, in order to provide adequate resources to the appropriate areas needing care.
Justice may be one of the most important ethical principles involved with the distribution of resources in public health. This ethical principle notes the requirement to provide all people with what they deserve, and the requirement to treat people equally and fairly ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). When distributing resources in public health it is essential that all rural public health areas receive justice when they are receiving resources.
There are conflicting viewpoints of these ethical principles, specifically, autonomy. Autonomy requires that one respect the decisions or choices a person may make ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). In a rural area a public health professional may be in the process of treating a resident with a chronic illness that could be successfully maintained with proper medical treatment. If this resident decided not to pursue medical treatment, and rely on holistic and/or religious healing methods; the public health professional would have to respect the autonomy of the resident, while also respecting their conflicting viewpoints (Warren & Smalley,
2014).
Justice is an ethical principle that can also present conflicting viewpoints when treating residents, without insurance in public health locations. The ethical principle justice states that one must treat all equally and fairly, which should apply when providing medical treatment ("Four fundamental principles of ethics", 2016). If a rural area resident is uninsured, and known by the care provider outside of the health care location conflicting viewpoints may arise when providing treatment (Warren & Smalley, 2014). The health care provider may feel that they are justified to provide treatment but legally bound not to if the patient does not have insurance; this may cause conflict between the resident and the care provider or the care provider and the health care location.
References
Four fundamental principles of ethics. (2016). Web.mnstate.edu. Retrieved 2 November 2016, from http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Four_Basic_principles.htm
Warren, J. & Smalley, K. (2014). Rural public health: Best practices and preventive models. Springer Publishing Company.
Tamara Edwards