Ethical problems in medical services from the patients' point of view Prevalencia de problemas éticos en servicios de medicina, desde la perspectiva del paciente

Leon R. T.; Bedregal P.; Shand B. B.

Keywords: records, confidentiality, patient, medical, humans, human, male, relations, bioethics, communication, aged, female, ethics, article, record, issues, inpatients, private, public, decision, studies, relation, study, hospital, cross-sectional, middle, making, Hospitals,, Ethics,, interpersonal, Bioethical

Abstract

Background: There is a paucity of information on the perception of patients about ethical issues in medical practice. Aim: To determine the type and frequency of ethical problems perceived by patients hospitalized in public and private hospitals. Material and methods: Eighty eight subjects aged 65 years (48% women), admitted to a public hospital and 44 subjects aged 59 years (52% women) admitted to a private clinic answered a survey about ethical problems. The main issues covered were medical information management, participation in decision making and intimacy of patients. Results: Fifty three percent of patients perceived at least one ethical problem. Patients admitted to the public hospital perceived more communication and intimacy problems than their peers admitted to a private clinic. Conclusions: Approximately half of the interviewed patients acknowledged the presence of ethical problems, especially in the communication and intimacy areas.

Más información

Título de la Revista: REVISTA MEDICA DE CHILE
Volumen: 137
Número: 6
Editorial: Sociedad Médica de Santiago
Fecha de publicación: 2009
Página de inicio: 759
Página final: 765
URL: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-70349685118&partnerID=q2rCbXpz