Money and medicine, concerns of health care ethics.
The Code of Ethics in health care is based on the preservation of the "dignity of the human person," according to Benedict Ashley and Kevin O'Rourke in "Heathcare Ethics." The ethical code provides health care providers a guide, or framework, to dealing with "human health humanely." Health care ethics maintains the priority of human dignity against the advancement of medical science and economic concerns.
History
The basis for modern health care ethics is found in the United Nations' "Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), according to Ashley and O'Rourke. This document was signed by almost every country and is supported by most major religions.
Features
Many historians argue that its structure was influenced by the "Code Napoleon." The document contains a "Preamble" and an introductory statement of the general principles contained therein. It contains 30 articles, 29 of which deal with human rights.
Significance
The impact of the "Declaration" was felt immediately and is still felt today. Since its inception the "Declaration" has influenced many national documents and constitutions. It has had a vital role in the global concern over human rights. Ashley and O'Rourke go on to point out that this document applies to all human beings "without distinction." Moreover, it forms a "basic consensus" among the global community regarding "fundamental ethical values."
Function
The "Declaration" is often seen as a reaction to the atrocities of World War II and serves as a list of rights to which all human beings should be accorded. The aim of the "Declaration," according to Ashley and O'Rourke, is to provide the "integrated satisfaction of the innate and cultural needs of every human person."
Effects
Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in "Principles of Biomedical Ethics," state that the "Declaration" provides a framework within which health care providers can "reflect on the acceptability of actions and can evaluate moral judgments and moral character."
Considerations
The importance of the "Declaration" is illustrated by the fact that it has been translated into almost 400 languages or dialects, making it one of the most translated documents in the world.
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