Comparative study of ethical problems on national board exams in Japan for healthcare professions - specific examples of physicians, pharmacists, and speech therapists.

ABSTRACT

Background: In medical practice, a team approach becomes more important, so a shared awareness of the ethical viewpoint is demanded. Aims & Objective: The present study was conducted to clarify problem points in the evaluation of ethical awareness of medical specialists via the national exams. Material and Methods: This study focused on national board exams for physicians, pharmacists, and speech therapists (STs), specifically targeting the problems posed to exam takers by the 2007 national exams in Japan. Seven researchers first extracted from the exams what were referred to as “ethical problems,” and then they categorized these problems by forms and contents. Results: The percentages of ethical problems were 5.8% for the physicians’ exam, 3.8% for the pharmacists’ exam, and 1.0% for the STs’ exam. The results showed that the exams for physicians, compared to other specialists, contained a greater number of ethical problems and the proportion of ethical problems is also relatively large for the physicians’ exam. Moreover, in terms of taxonomy, problems posed to physicians not only elicited acquired knowledge but also required the exam taker to make decisions about specific cases. These ethical problems vary in forms and contents among the three exams. Conclusion: The results suggest that standardized criteria are necessary for national exams to raise a shared awareness of the ethical viewpoint among medical specialists.