Health Commun.  2022 Dec;17(2):11-24. 10.15715/kjhcom.2022.17.2.11.

The Three Ethical Theories Behind Patient-clinician Communication: Focusing on Natural Law Ethics, Utilitarian Ethics, and Kant’s Ethics

• Shin SW

• KMID: 2538433
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15715/kjhcom.2022.17.2.11

Abstract

Purpose
: Patients-clinician communications are not only about information, but also ethical themes. This is because, as medical care is directed at humans. Therefore, medical decisions must be made based on moral considerations. It goes beyond exchanging information and starts with meeting and communication with the interlocutor. In other word, in order to meet each other in existence, it is necessary to continue researching on the basic ideas that constitute ethical dialogue.
Methods
: In this Study, there are many points that are not directly revealed in the superficial dialogue between patients and clinician, but there are various factors that lie underneath. The three ethical theories, natural law ethics, utilitarian ethics, and Kant’s ethics, that reveal the principles and actions of ethics under the external dialogue will be examined, focusing on the primary literature, which is important in each theory. Through this study, it es possible to examine in what aspects these ethical views reveal their principle and various ethical positions. Based on the analysis of each ethical theory, it is examined which direction of the three theories could contribute to high-quality communication between patients and clinician.
Conclusion
: As a common part of the three ethical theories, it can be seen that the principle of “being ethical” is being universally explored. In addition to the common parts, each ethical theory has its own explanation of the basis of ethics and each has its own direction. Based on three different ethical theories, we can examine the differences under the natural and the source of the differences by understanding the ethical theories that are under the ethical view that the other person accepts without question in the patients-clinician communications. And this can be used as a starting point for ethical dialogue to meet each other as a whole, as existence.

Keyword

Patient; clinician; communication; ethics