RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 When four principles are too many: bloodgate, integrity and an action-guiding model of ethical decision making in clinical practice
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 195
OP 196
DO 10.1136/medethics-2011-100136
VO 38
IS 4
A1 William Muirhead
YR 2012
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/4/195.abstract
AB Medical ethical analysis remains dominated by the principlist account first proposed by Beauchamp and Childress. This paper argues that the principlist model is unreflective of how ethical decisions are taken in clinical practice. Two kinds of medical ethical decisions are distinguished: biosocial ethics and clinical ethics. It is argued that principlism is an inappropriate model for clinical ethics as it is neither sufficiently action-guiding nor does it emphasise the professional integrity of the clinician. An alternative model is proposed for decision making in the realm of clinical ethics.