Refers to the rules and principles generally accepted as relevant in the moral analysis of ethical issues in medicine. In health care it is difficult to hold absolute rules or principles because of the many variables that exist in the context of clinical and the fact that different principles may seem to be applicable in a given situation. These serve as powerful action guides in clinical medicine. The commonly accepted principles of health care ethics include:

1 the principle of respect for autonomy,
2 the principle of nonmaleficence,

Refers to the rules and principles generally accepted as relevant in the moral analysis of ethical issues in medicine. In health care it is difficult to hold absolute rules or principles because of the many variables that exist in the context of clinical and the fact that different principles may seem to be applicable in a given situation. These serve as powerful action guides in clinical medicine. The commonly accepted principles of health care ethics include:

1 the principle of respect for autonomy,
2 the principle of nonmaleficence,
3 the principle of beneficence, and
4 the principle of justice.

For an in-depth explanation of these four principles see the University of Washington, School of Medicine, Clinical Ethics, Ethical Principles

Also see
American Medical Association Principles of Medical Ethics