摘要：Modern medical ethics has been tremendously influenced, both in theory and in practice, by the four principles approach to bioethics, which was generally developed from the 1978 "Belmont Report" and the work of Thomas Beauchamp and James Childress. According to these models, a physician's moral obligation toward his or her patient is defined by four ethical principles—respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Respect for autonomy dictates that patients who have decision-making capacity have a right to voice their medical treatment preferences, and physicians have the concomitant duty to respect those preferences. Nonmaleficence directs physicians to maximize the benefit to patients while minimizing the harm. Beneficence promotes the welfare and best interest of patients. Finally, justice demands fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment for all patients [1]. These ethical principles are commonly referred to in professional ethical guidelines and applied in clinical decision making.
