From the Guidelines
The principle of beneficence in medical practice requires healthcare providers to act in the best interest of their patients and promote their wellbeing, as emphasized in the most recent study 1. This ethical principle obligates physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to actively contribute to patient welfare by providing beneficial treatments while preventing or removing harmful conditions. Beneficence goes beyond simply avoiding harm (non-maleficence) and demands positive steps to help patients through appropriate care. In practical terms, this means recommending treatments with favorable benefit-risk ratios, staying updated on medical advances, considering patient preferences, and sometimes balancing competing interests when resources are limited. For example, a physician might recommend a specific treatment regimen based on its effectiveness and the patient's medical history, even if it requires more frequent interventions that might inconvenience the patient. The principle is grounded in the fundamental purpose of medicine—to heal and help patients—and recognizes the vulnerability of those seeking medical care, as discussed in earlier studies 1. Healthcare providers must use their specialized knowledge and skills to serve patients' best interests, even when patients may not fully understand what would benefit them most. Key aspects of beneficence include:
- Acting in the best interest of the patient
- Providing beneficial treatments
- Preventing or removing harmful conditions
- Recommending treatments with favorable benefit-risk ratios
- Staying updated on medical advances
- Considering patient preferences
- Balancing competing interests when resources are limited As noted in the study 1, ensuring that beneficence remains central to the deployment of new technologies and models in healthcare is a moral imperative.
From the Research
Definition of Beneficence
- The principle of beneficence is a moral term that refers to the obligation to act for the benefit of others 2
- It is one of the four bioethical principles, which also include non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice 2, 3
- Beneficence is tied to the patient's best overall interests, whereas non-maleficence is tied to the patient's best medical interests only 4
Application of Beneficence in Medical Practice
- The principle of beneficence is a foundational ethical principle in medicine, which means promoting and protecting the patient's wellbeing and interests 5
- It involves balancing benefits, costs, and risks in patient care, with prevention being a key strategy to achieve this balance 2
- Clinicians must consider different conceptions of wellbeing, including objective functioning/health and the patient's view of their own good, when determining what counts as a benefit to a patient 5
Relationship with Other Ethical Principles
- The principle of beneficence can come into conflict with other ethical principles, such as autonomy, and clinicians must be able to resolve these conflicts in a systematic and ethical manner 3
- The principle of non-maleficence takes priority over the principle of beneficence, filtering treatment options that are subject to the principle of beneficence 4
- Beneficence is a prima facie obligation that should always be acted upon unless it conflicts with an equal or stronger principle 6