What principle focuses on avoiding harm to clients according to the AOTA Code of Ethics?

What principle focuses on avoiding harm to clients according to the AOTA Code of Ethics?

• A. Veracity
• B. Beneficence
• C. Nonmaleficence
• D. Fidelity

Answer: (C)

The principle that focuses on avoiding harm to clients, according to the AOTA Code of Ethics, is nonmaleficence. This ethical principle is grounded in the obligation of healthcare providers to refrain from causing harm to their clients. In the context of occupational therapy, it emphasizes the responsibility of practitioners to ensure that their interventions do not result in physical, emotional, or psychological harm. Nonmaleficence is fundamental to all aspects of patient care, guiding therapists to assess risks and benefits thoughtfully and to make decisions that protect clients' well-being. For instance, when developing treatment plans, occupational therapists must consider existing health conditions, the potential for adverse effects from interventions, and the overall effect of therapeutic activities on the clients. While other principles like beneficence focus on providing benefits and advancing client welfare, and fidelity emphasizes loyalty and trust in relationships, it is nonmaleficence specifically that highlights the critical importance of doing no harm. This makes it a cornerstone ethical principle in the practice of occupational therapy.

The principle that focuses on avoiding harm to clients, according to the AOTA Code of Ethics, is nonmaleficence. This ethical principle is grounded in the obligation of healthcare providers to refrain from causing harm to their clients. In the context of occupational therapy, it emphasizes the responsibility of practitioners to ensure that their interventions do not result in physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

Nonmaleficence is fundamental to all aspects of patient care, guiding therapists to assess risks and benefits thoughtfully and to make decisions that protect clients' well-being. For instance, when developing treatment plans, occupational therapists must consider existing health conditions, the potential for adverse effects from interventions, and the overall effect of therapeutic activities on the clients.

While other principles like beneficence focus on providing benefits and advancing client welfare, and fidelity emphasizes loyalty and trust in relationships, it is nonmaleficence specifically that highlights the critical importance of doing no harm. This makes it a cornerstone ethical principle in the practice of occupational therapy.