Which term describes the practice of 'doing no harm' in healthcare?

The term that describes the practice of 'doing no harm' in healthcare is nonmaleficence. This principle emphasizes the obligation of healthcare professionals to avoid causing harm to patients. It is a fundamental tenet in medical ethics that is crucial for ensuring patient safety and wellbeing.

Nonmaleficence directs practitioners to weigh the potential risks and benefits of any intervention or treatment, striving to minimize harm while providing care. This constant vigilance is necessary to uphold ethical standards in clinical practice and promotes trust between patients and healthcare providers.

Other concepts such as beneficence, which refers to the obligation to act in the patient's best interest and promote good, play an important role in healthcare ethics but do not specifically focus on the avoidance of harm. Justice pertains to fairness in healthcare distribution, and autonomy respects a patient's right to make informed decisions regarding their own care, but neither of these terms encapsulates the specific duty to avoid harm as nonmaleficence does.