What is medical ethics?

• A. How principles apply to medicine
• B. The study of medical equipment
• C. A legal framework for hospitals
• D. A branch of pharmacology

Answer: (A)

Medical ethics means applying moral principles to medical care and research, guiding decisions about how to treat patients and conduct studies. It centers on respecting patient autonomy, promoting welfare, avoiding harm, and ensuring fairness in how benefits and burdens are shared. It covers informed consent, confidentiality, and the balance of risks and benefits in treatment, as well as ethical questions in research. The other options describe areas like equipment study, hospital law, or pharmacology, which are different domains and not about applying ethical principles to medicine.