a Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
b University of St. Thomas.
Am J Bioeth. 2016 Jul;16(7):29-38. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2016.1180441.
"Moral hazard" is a term familiar in economics and business ethics that illuminates why rational parties sometimes choose decisions with bad moral outcomes without necessarily intending to behave selfishly or immorally. The term is not generally used in medical ethics. Decision makers such as parents and physicians generally do not use the concept or the word in evaluating ethical dilemmas. They may not even be aware of the precise nature of the moral hazard problem they are experiencing, beyond a general concern for the patient's seemingly excessive burden. This article brings the language and logic of moral hazard to pediatrics. The concept reminds us that decision makers in this context are often not the primary party affected by their decisions. It appraises the full scope of risk at issue when decision makers decide on behalf of others and leads us to separate, respect, and prioritize the interests of affected parties.
“道德风险”是经济学和商业伦理学中一个熟悉的术语，它阐明了为什么理性的当事人有时会选择道德后果不佳的决策，而不一定是出于自私或不道德的意图。这个术语在医学伦理学中一般不使用。决策者，如父母和医生，在评估伦理困境时通常不使用这个概念或这个词。他们甚至可能没有意识到他们所经历的道德风险问题的准确性质，除了对患者看似过度负担的一般关注之外。本文将道德风险的语言和逻辑引入儿科学。这个概念提醒我们，在这种情况下的决策者往往不是其决策受主要影响的一方。它评估了决策者代表他人做出决策时所涉及的风险的全部范围，并引导我们将受影响方的利益分开、尊重和优先考虑。
