Bioethics:

VIRTUES and VICES

OBJECTIVE

 Identify virtues of a health care provider in the

context of the goals of medicine
Goals of Medicine

 Promote health, prevent disease

 Alleviate pain and suffering
 Cure disease
 Improve/maintain function
 Prevent untimely death
 Education of the patient and family
 Do not harm
VIRTUES OF THE HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONAL

 Acquired habits or dispositions to do what is

morally right

 Traits of character
 FIDELITY

Faithfulness to trust and promise

 HEALTHCARE  Keep patient’s best
interest first in mind

Patient Advocate  Intend one’s good

(benevolence)

 Avoid conflict of interest

 RESEARCH  Respect dignity of man
- seek good
- avoid harm
Research participant - informed consent
and public advocate
 Provide truth to the
public
 HONESTY

Truthfulness and integrity

 TRUTHFULNESS  Truth telling
-diagnosis, prognosis,
Good faith intent to benefits, burdens, etc
convey the truth, both  Research
in words and conduct, - publishing accurate
to others, as best one
knows it findings
- acknowledge
contributors
- cite source of support
 INTEGRITY

- being true to one self or wholeness

- congruence between belief’s, words and
actions
- making choices in line with one’s values
 HUMILITY

Recognizing one’s capabilities and limitations

Accepting deserved praise and denying
undeserved praise
 COMPASSION

Feeling for the loss/suffering of another

Self-sacrifice, given voluntarily for the benefit of
another
  Listening to patient’s
anxiety
Compassionate
competent care is the  Telling bad news kindly
essence of the
healing profession  Reducing burdens for
research subjects
 COURAGE

Doing what is right without undue fear

Resoluteness, heroism
 PRUDENCE

Habitual deliberateness, caution

and circumspection in action
Foresight
 JUSTICE

Constant will to give another his due

 VICES
 PRIDE
Inordinate self-esteem, conceit
Superiority over others
 GREED
Inordinate acquisitiveness
Acknowledgement

Powerpoint presentation slides

by:
MILAGROS F. NERI, MD,MA,MPH
Department of Community & Family Medicine
Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation
Fairview, Quezon City, Philippines