Which ethical principle emphasizes doing good for patients?

The ethical principle that emphasizes doing good for patients is beneficence. This principle focuses on the obligation of healthcare providers to act in the best interests of their patients, promoting their well-being and taking positive actions to enhance their health and quality of life. It involves not only the avoidance of harm but also the active promotion of good, which includes providing treatments and interventions that improve patient outcomes and overall health.

In the context of healthcare, beneficence underlines the necessity for professionals to make decisions that lead to health benefits, supporting patients in a way that acknowledges their needs, preferences, and values. It is about ensuring that care is not only adequate but also compassionate and proactive.

The other principles mentioned—such as autonomy, which focuses on respecting patients' rights to make their own decisions; justice, which addresses fairness and equality in healthcare access; and non-maleficence, which is primarily concerned with not causing harm—serve important roles in ethical practice, but they do not explicitly denote the principle of actively doing good for patients as beneficence does.