Question

What are the root causes of the conflict that can occur between medical / individual ethics and public health ethical standards? Do a comparative analysis on the ethics of privacy between public health ethics and medical ethics

Answer 1

There are several root causes of conflict between medical/ individual ethics and public health ethical standards. Autonomy or the right of self-government, equality of access and benefits, and the “do good” principal all align hand in hand with the conflicts of public and individual ethics. The conflicts evoked from public health stem individually from each person’s take on standards and what they value. Can someone refuse to undergo routine preventive health measures? Can medical treatment ever be provided against a patient’s will? What responsibilities do I have as a young adult to finance healthcare to the elderly and is it truly my responsibility to do so? These are questions of conflict that matter to the overall public but stem from individual ethics. It is hard to separate the two type of ethics when the bottom line of both concerning conflicts are the same. When looking at privacy as it relates to public and medical ethics, public health actions have brought several conflicts to the forefront. One major area of discourse and debate concerns the efforts to prevent disease and promote health. It could be done by trying to influence individual actions through ways of healthcare professionals and/ or promotional tactics or a more invasive way such as quarantining of patients with infectious disease. Also, fluoridating public water supplies; guide choice through disincentives such as taxes on health-harming goods like alcohol and cigarettes. In addition, an incentive such as tax breaks on health-promoting goods and informs choice through food labeling or media campaigns are used.