A physician is caring for an indigent 37-year-old male patient with no health insurance, who is admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis related to alcohol abuse. The administrator questions whether this patient is entitled to health care because he did not take responsibility for his actions leading to this condition and he has no health insurance plan. What is the ethical principle guiding the physician's actions?

Question

A. non-maleficence
B. veracity
C. justice
D. confidentiality
E. role fidelity

Answer 1

C. justice

Justice is defined as what is due to an individual. However, there is a debate over whether the distribution of scarce resources and the expense of providing them should allow us to provide all care for all patients. Others argue that people must take responsibility for their actions, such as not abusing alcohol, before assuming they can have justice. Non-maleficence refers to doing no harm, veracity is truth-telling, and confidentiality involves protection of privacy and confidentiality for patients. Role fidelity is being faithful to your scope of practice as a practitioner.