Which principle advocates for the overall welfare of the population being prioritized in healthcare decisions?

Utilitarianism is the principle that emphasizes the greatest good for the greatest number of people in healthcare decision-making. In this framework, actions are judged based on their outcomes, particularly regarding overall welfare and utility. The focus is on maximizing benefits and minimizing harm for the population as a whole, making it central to ethical discussions in public health and resource allocation within healthcare systems.

This principle operates on the idea that healthcare resources should be distributed in a manner that results in the best overall outcomes for society, rather than catering to individual preferences. By advocating for policies and practices that yield the greatest benefits to the majority, utilitarianism seeks to ensure that health interventions and resources are used effectively to promote population health.

Other principles like justice, fidelity, and veracity each emphasize different ethical considerations. Justice relates to fairness and equality in healthcare access and treatment. Fidelity focuses on loyalty and keeping promises to patients, while veracity emphasizes the importance of truthfulness in patient-provider interactions. Each of these principles plays a significant role in healthcare ethics, but they do not prioritize overall population welfare in the same way that utilitarianism does.