Table 1.

Working Definitions of Ethical Principles

Ethical Principle	Working Definition
Autonomy	The right of the patient to accept or refuse any treatment, relates to the patients being able to make informed decisions on their own behalf, rather than being subjected to paternalistic decisions being made for them by health care providers
Non-malfeasance	Doing no harm or, even more appropriately, no further harm
Beneficence	Implies that the healthcare providers must provide benefits in the best interest of the individual patient while balancing benefit and risks
Justice	Implies the concern and duty to distribute limited health resources equally with in a society and the decision of who gets what treatment (fairness and equality)
Utility	Maximizing the net benefit to society from a, generally scarce, resource
Dignity and Honesty	The right of patients to be treated with dignity and information should be honest without suppressing important facts