At their best, good systems allow space for the practical judgment of health care professionals to achieve justice in the particular actions of their daily practice.

A philosophical analysis of how physician actions and treatment goals are defined and interpreted and how understanding this process can affect the success of the clinical encounter.

The principle of double effect and proportionate reason can be a useful way of assessing actions as moral or immoral.

Some clinicians and researchers believe that quality-of-life measurements are flawed, and using them in clinical decision making is dangerous.

Paul Miller and Charles Weijer defend the concept of equipoise in medical research in a recent journal article.

The author describes some of the diverse training paths that may lead to becoming a bioethicist and how the breadth of this field is useful in exploring many ethical questions in the field of medicine.