Guiding principles x Ethical principles that guide the successful approach to diagnosis and treatment are honesty beneficence, justice, avoidance of conflict of interest, and the pledge to do no harm Increasingly, Western medicine involves patients in important decisions about medical care including how far to proceed with treatment of patients with terminal illnessesGuiding Principles Ethical principles that guide the successful approach to diagnosis and treatment are honesty, beneficence, justice, avoidance of conflict of interest, and the pledge to do no harm. Increasingly, Western medicine involves patients in important decisions about medical care, including how far to proceed with treatment of patients with terminal illnesses