Which of the following is a principle of beneficence in healthcare?

The principle of beneficence in healthcare specifically refers to the obligation of healthcare providers to take actions that promote the well-being of patients. This includes actively contributing to their health and providing beneficial care. Doing good encapsulates the essence of beneficence, emphasizing the importance of positive actions and interventions that enhance patient outcomes and overall health.

In contrast, the other options address different ethical principles: not doing harm aligns with nonmaleficence, which is about avoiding actions that could harm patients; being truthful relates to the principle of honesty or veracity, which emphasizes the importance of truth in the patient-provider relationship; and providing fairness connects to the principle of justice, focusing on equitable treatment and distribution of resources among patients. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why the concept of doing good is the defining characteristic of beneficence in healthcare ethics.