Human rights, ethics and values in person centered medicine

There are ample philosophical bases (such as the Emmanuel Kant's work) as well as strong scientific evidence of the unique status of human beings as self-aware persons which provides a strong rational basis for recognition of the intrinsic dignity of all human beings independent of any religious or spiritual considerations. This intrinsic dignity was incorporated into the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 with its emphasis on each 'person's' rights. The principles within the UDHR have been incorporated into national laws and have acquired the force of international 'customary' law which may be invoked in appropriate circumstances by national and other courts. These 'rights' include the right to life and the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical, emotional and social health. "The right to health is not to be understood as a right to be healthy." Instead, the right to health is expressed as a set of both freedoms and entitlements which accommodate the individual person's biological, mental and social conditions as well as the available resources. It is within this understanding that the importance of a person centered approach to health and health care is so essential. The practice of Medicine is a "vocation whose core element is work based upon the mastery of a complex body of knowledge and skills and whose members 'profess' an ethical commitment to competence, integrity, morality, altruism and the promotion of the public good within their domain". The principles of Ethics are of more fundamental importance than rules and regulations because the rules are built on the platform offered by the principles. Without them rules would be without reason, relevance or philosophical foundation. These principles need to be 'internalized' and become a physician's professional conscience, a compass guiding the journey through the complex scientific and medico social scenes. The physician's individual conscience provides the foundation of the 'trust' given by the patient to the physician and by society to the profession. The profession's collective conscience shapes the essential wider 'contract' between the medical profession and society in general. The science and art of Medicine involves the systematic and personalized application of our knowledge and skills within the framework of our collective conscience to make judgments based on evidence, experience and values in the best interests of individuals seeking our help and of the communities we serve.