Public Health Ethical Analysis

Public Health Ethics are different from Medical Ethics because Public Health Ethics goal is to address what is best for a group or population; whereas, medical ethics addresses what is good for the individual. The concept of Public Health Ethics is new because “it argues that when dealing with ethical issues related to research or interventions, the health of groups and populations should be considered and not only that of individuals” as in the case of Medical Ethics (Callreus, 2013, p. 157). However, there is another group that argues a different point. The opposing side argues that the benefits for the group shouldn’t be the only consideration and developed “criteria for deciding when freedoms should be usurped for public health” (Keane,

For example, nursing and doctors both have a code of ethics some parts similar but other part of their code is distinctively different. The reason is because of their employment (doctors tend to have special contractual agreements with hospitals and nurses are employees of hospitals). However, historically the “ethical principles [were] focused on autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice”(Ivanov & Oden, 2013, p. 232). This historical start still stands in parts today as a part of the “decision making in health care specifically public health”(p.

Knowing that the decision that is made in either case is grounded in ethical principles that offer guidance to quality healthcare that is evidence based. In addition to protecting the group, through ethical and sound decision making as is the case of avoiding conflict of interest and by only providing education and services that protect the health of all. Although, the “intellectual energy devoted to the ethics of Public Health has been scant compared with that spent on clinical [Medical] ethics” (Leeder, 2004, p. 434). This is important when making a comparison between the two.

Reference

Callréus, T. (2013). Pharmacovigilance and Public Health Ethics. Pharmaceutical Medicine - New Zealand, 27(3), 157-164. doi:10.1007/s40290-013-0016-4

Center for Disease Control and prevention CDC. (2015). Public Health Issues. Retreived. October 21, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/phethics/

Keane, M. (2010). Public health interventions need to meet the same standards of medical ethics as individual health interventions. American Journal Of Bioethics, 10(3), 36-38 3p. doi:10.1080/15265160903581742

Ivanov, L. L., & Oden, T. L. (2013). Public Health Nursing, Ethics and Human Rights. Public Health Nursing, 30(3), 231-238 8p. doi:10.1111/phn.12022

Leeder, S. R. (2004).