Which principle requires that all patients are treated fairly and equally?

• A. Autonomy
• B. Nonmaleficence
• C. Justice
• D. Beneficence

Answer: (C)

Treating all patients fairly and equally is the principle of justice in healthcare ethics. Justice calls for fairness in how people are treated, how care is accessed, and how resources are allocated, based on need and impartial standards rather than personal characteristics such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability to pay. It emphasizes consistency and nondiscrimination in decisions about who receives care and how services are distributed, ensuring that every patient has a fair opportunity to be served.

Autonomy focuses on respecting a patient’s right to make their own choices about their care, even if others might disagree. Nonmaleficence is the obligation to avoid causing harm. Beneficence is the obligation to act in the patient’s best interests and promote good. While all are important, justice uniquely enshrines the obligation to treat all patients fairly and equitably, which is why it is the correct principle in this scenario.