The components of clinical interaction ethics

Abstract

Ethical norms are traditionally inseparable from medical work as such and are an unconditional part of the general idea of medicine and doctorhood. However, the structure of medical ethics is ambiguous and complex. It includes the ways in which ethically loaded decisions are made, the categories of ethically loaded decisions themselves and the good/bad dichotomy, as well as cultural context that defines these categories. The psychological component also plays a role: mental state of a patient, a doctor, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication. Finally, the legal framework is imperatively introduced into the doctor-patient relationship, setting norms regardless of the nuances of interpersonal interaction. This article discusses the most important and explicit components of an ethical relationship in helping, and also proposes as a universal solution the ethics of virtue neither as an instrumental, but an essential approach.