This article discusses the notion of justice from a capabilities approach. We undertake an empirical analysis of the concepts of justice held by healthcare personnel, gleaned from a qualitative analysis of interviews on the subject of ethical dilemmas in everyday practice. The article states that Justice undoubtedly presents a work in progress, which implicates the link between justice as capability and human dignity. We empirically found a contrast between the views of justice based on the patient's own perceptions and those based on the perceptions of healthcare personnel. We establish the kind of actions, communication skills and justice required to build a stronger relationship between patients and healthcare professionals, which would improve prognosis, treatment efficiency and therapeutic adhesion.
Keywords: capability; ethical dilemmas; human flourishing; justice; qualitative research.
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.