Standards of ethics in health care include which of the following?

• A. Autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity
• B. Autonomy only
• C. Only justice
• D. Privacy and confidentiality only

Answer: (A)

These standards come from the set of guiding ethical principles used in health care to protect patients and guide decisions. The best answer lists five fundamental concepts: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity. Autonomy means honoring a patient’s right to make informed choices about their own care. Beneficence is the obligation to act in the patient’s best interest and promote well‑being. Nonmaleficence means avoiding harm and preventing injury from care. Justice involves fairness in distributing care and ensuring equitable access and treatment for all patients. Fidelity refers to loyalty and keeping commitments to patients, including honesty and trustworthiness in the caregiver–patient relationship. These principles together shape ethical practice across situations, from obtaining informed consent to balancing benefits and risks and ensuring fair resource use.

Privacy and confidentiality are essential aspects of care, often linked to trust and autonomy, but they do not alone constitute the full set of core ethical standards used to evaluate all clinical decisions.