Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?

Ethical principles serve as the foundation of healthcare practice, guiding medical professionals in their interactions with patients and shaping healthcare policies worldwide. However, the interpretation and application of these principles can vary significantly across different cultural and socio-p...

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Main Authors: Agata Kaczmarek, Agnieszka Żok, Ewa Baum
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1579778/full
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author Agata Kaczmarek
Agata Kaczmarek
Agnieszka Żok
Ewa Baum
author_facet Agata Kaczmarek
Agata Kaczmarek
Agnieszka Żok
Ewa Baum
author_sort Agata Kaczmarek
collection DOAJ
description Ethical principles serve as the foundation of healthcare practice, guiding medical professionals in their interactions with patients and shaping healthcare policies worldwide. However, the interpretation and application of these principles can vary significantly across different cultural and socio-political contexts. Understanding these variations is essential for enhancing cross-cultural healthcare practices. The aim of this review was to identify and show the differences and similarities in understanding and implementation of four ethical principles in Poland, Ukraine, India and Thailand. The PubMed database was searched for articles, which resulted in 16 papers about the principle of non-maleficence, 36 papers about the principle of justice, 79 on autonomy and 16 on beneficence, all of which were included in the review. The results revealed ethical dilemmas encountered in routine healthcare practice, highlighting both commonalities and distinctions across the analyzed countries. This analysis offers valuable insights into how ethical challenges are addressed within diverse healthcare systems, contributing to a deeper understanding of the needs of both patients and medical personnel.
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spelling doaj-art-4642b4556ae848df9541baa2aae364bd2025-08-20T02:09:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-06-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15797781579778Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?Agata Kaczmarek0Agata Kaczmarek1Agnieszka Żok2Ewa Baum3Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, PolandDoctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, PolandDivision of Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, PolandDepartment of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, PolandEthical principles serve as the foundation of healthcare practice, guiding medical professionals in their interactions with patients and shaping healthcare policies worldwide. However, the interpretation and application of these principles can vary significantly across different cultural and socio-political contexts. Understanding these variations is essential for enhancing cross-cultural healthcare practices. The aim of this review was to identify and show the differences and similarities in understanding and implementation of four ethical principles in Poland, Ukraine, India and Thailand. The PubMed database was searched for articles, which resulted in 16 papers about the principle of non-maleficence, 36 papers about the principle of justice, 79 on autonomy and 16 on beneficence, all of which were included in the review. The results revealed ethical dilemmas encountered in routine healthcare practice, highlighting both commonalities and distinctions across the analyzed countries. This analysis offers valuable insights into how ethical challenges are addressed within diverse healthcare systems, contributing to a deeper understanding of the needs of both patients and medical personnel.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1579778/fullcodes of medical ethicsethical dilemmascross-cultural medicinePolandUkraineIndia
spellingShingle Agata Kaczmarek
Agata Kaczmarek
Agnieszka Żok
Ewa Baum
Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
Frontiers in Public Health
codes of medical ethics
ethical dilemmas
cross-cultural medicine
Poland
Ukraine
India
title Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
title_full Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
title_fullStr Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
title_full_unstemmed Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
title_short Ethical principles across countries: does ‘ethical’ mean the same everywhere?
title_sort ethical principles across countries does ethical mean the same everywhere
topic codes of medical ethics
ethical dilemmas
cross-cultural medicine
Poland
Ukraine
India
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1579778/full
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