Ethical Principles

There are seven ethical principles laid out in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF).  In this post, I will be briefly defining each of these principles.

Beneficence - Looking at the client as a whole and being thoughtful about a client's well-being

Non-maleficence - "Do no harm"; refraining from actions that cause harm to the client

Autonomy & Confidentiality - Freedom to choose and a right to privacy

Social Justice - Right, equable, appropriate treatment of the client

Procedural Justice - Compliance with institutional rules, federal, and state regulations

Veracity - Honest, accurate truth, information, proper credentials, not plagiarizing

Fidelity - Respect and faithfulness to the client

By adhering these ethical principles, an OT practitioner can better avoid or solve sticky ethical situations that arise.  I think having these principles laid out helps practitioners know the correct and appropriate response and it gives a baseline for same practice among all OT practitioners.