Strategic technological processes in hospitals: Conflicts and personal experiences of healthcare teams.

BACKGROUND: Global health systems operate amid dynamic factors, including demographic shifts, economic variations, political changes, technological progress, and societal trends that lead to VUCA reality (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity). To address these challenges, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to Strategic Technological Processes and digital transformation. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: Against this background, the current study examined the personal experiences, conflicts, difficulties, and moral dilemmas attendant upon accommodating this digital transformation of healthcare professionals. PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 27 healthcare professionals working in Israeli hospitals, whose experiences and perspectives were central to understanding the impact of digital transformation in healthcare settings. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study methodology rested on in-depth interviews, which were analyzed through the prism of the Listening Guide analytical technique. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The research obtained pre-approval from the Ethics Committee at the researcher's institution. FINDINGS: The study revealed that the healthcare professionals are indeed facing ethical conflicts and personal challenges related to digitalization (such as providing the best quality of care, being the best caregiver, and acting for the betterment of the hospital). It also identified dilemmas resulting from conflicts between the needs and demands of the health system and the healthcare professionals' values and resources. DISCUSSION: The study findings highlight the impact of ethical and moral challenges accompanying strategic organizational and digital transformation changes implemented by healthcare organizations worldwide. These challenges arise as healthcare institutions adapt to the demands of the 21st century, potentially leading to burnout and moral distress among healthcare professionals, further exacerbating the already stressful reality they face. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the study emphasizes the critical necessity for comprehensive support strategies to alleviate stress and burnout among healthcare professionals. As healthcare organizations and personnel navigate significant organizational changes to address contemporary challenges, prioritizing the well-being of healthcare workers through effective support mechanisms becomes imperative.

Digitalización de la comunicación y atención a personas LGBTIQ+: dos conflictos éticos emergentes para la Psicología en la Atención Primaria de Salud chilena / Digitalització de la comunicació i atenció a persones LGBTIQ+: dos conflictes ètics emergents per a la psicologia en l'Atenció Primària de Salut xilena / Digitalization of communication and attention to LGBTIQ+ people: Two emerging ethical conflicts for psychology in Chilean Primary Health Care

El artículo analiza los conflictos éticos detectados por Psicólogas/os en la Atención Primaria de Salud en Chile, centrando la descripción y análisis en los percibidos como emergentes, a través de un estudio cualitativo, tipo exploratorio-descriptivo. Dos fueron los principales conflictos identificados: a) resguardo de información sensible en ficha clínica electrónica y b) atención a personas LGBTIQ+ sin capacitación correspondiente. El estudio transparenta la importancia de visibilizar demandas incipientesen salud pública a través de las perspectivas de los propios profesionales, dotándoles de notoriedad para avanzar en su priorización y resolución. Explorar la dimensión ética es relevante para el ejercicio de la psicología contemporánea, porque da cuenta de las necesidades de la sociedad, permitiendo incluso anticiparse a ellas.(AU)

L'article analitza els conflictes ètics detectats pels psicòlegs en l'Atenció Primària de Salut a Xile, centrant-se en la descripció i anàlisi dels que es perceben com a emergents mitjançant un estudi qualitatiu de tipus exploratori-descriptiu. Es van identificar dos conflictes principals: a) la protecció de la informació sensible en els registres clínics electrònics i b) l'atenció a persones LGBTIQ+ sense la formació adequada. L'estudi destaca la importància de fer visibles les demandes incipients en la salut pública a través de les perspectives dels mateixos professionals, donant-los rellevància per avançar en la seva prioritat i resolució. Explorar la dimensió ètica és rellevant per a l'exercici de la psicologia contemporània, ja que reflecteix les necessitats de la societat, fins i tot permetent anticipar-se a elles.(AU)

The article analyzesthe ethical conflicts detected by psychologists in Primary Health Care in Chile, centering the description and analysis on those perceived as emerging, through an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study. There were two main conflicts identified: a) safeguarding of sensitive information in electronic clinical records and b) healthcare for LGBTIQ+ persons without the corresponding qualification. The study illustrates the importance of highlighting developing demands in public healthcare through the perspectives of the professionals themselves, providing the demands with notoriety in order to advance in their prioritization and resolution. Exploring the ethical dimension is relevant for contemporary psychology practice because it accounts for the needs of society, even making it possible to anticipate them.(AU)

"Overestimated technology - underestimated consequences" - reflections on risks, ethical conflicts, and social disparities in the handling of non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPTs).

New technologies create new complexities. Since non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPTs) were first introduced, keeping pace with complexity constitutes an ongoing task for medical societies, politics, and practice. NIPTs analyse the chromosomes of the fetus from a small blood sample. Initially, NIPTs were targeted at detecting trisomy 21 (Down syndrome): meanwhile there are sequencing techniques capable of analysing the entire genome of the unborn child. These yield findings of unclear relevance for the child's future life, resulting in new responsibility structures and dilemmas for the parents-to-be.The industry's marketing strategies overemphasize the benefits of the tests while disregarding their consequences. This paper chooses the opposite path: starting with the underestimated consequences, it focuses on adverse developments and downsides. Disparities, paradoxes, and risks associated with NIPTs are illustrated, ethical conflicts described. Indications that new technologies developed to solve problems create new ones are examined. In the sense of critical thinking, seemingly robust knowledge is scrutinized for uncertainties and ambiguities. It analyses how the interplay between genetic knowledge and social discourse results in new dimensions of responsibility not only for parents-to-be, but also for decision-makers, authorities, and professional societies, illustrated by a review of different national policies and implementation programmes. As shown by the new NIPT policy in Norway, the consequences can be startling. Finally, a lawsuit in the United States illustrates how an agency can risk forfeiting its legitimation in connection with the inaccuracy of NIPTs.

Ethical conflicts among physicians and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The healthcare system and professionals working in the sector have experienced a high caseload during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This has increased the potential for morally harmful events that violate professionals' moral codes and values. The aim of this study was to understand and explore experiences of new moral challenges emerging among physicians and nurses caring for individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used in this qualitative study based on Gadamer's phenomenology. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Thirteen medicine and nursing graduates were interviewed in depth. The participants all worked on the frontline at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered in two basic healthcare districts in Spain, encompassing both primary care and hospital care. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Betrayal of moral and ethical values as a key source of suffering; (2) Ethical and moral sense of failure accompanying loss of meaning; (3) Lack of confidence in performance; (4) Self-demand and self-punishment as personal condemnation among healthcare workers. CONCLUSIONS: Health institutions must implement interventions for health professionals to help mitigate the consequences of experiencing complex ethical scenarios during the pandemic. In addition, they should promote training in moral and ethical deliberation and prepare them to make decisions of great ethical significance.

Moral distress - a threat to dementia care? A qualitative study of nursing staff members' experiences in long-term care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a public health priority worldwide due to its rapidly increasing prevalence and poses challenges with regard to providing proper care, including end-of-life care. This study is part of a research project about nursing staff members' experiences with providing palliative care for people with severe dementia in long-term care facilities. In an earlier study, we found that structural barriers that complicated the provision of palliative care led to moral distress among nursing staff. In this study, we performed a secondary analysis of the same data set to gain a deeper understanding of nursing staff members experiences of moral distress while providing palliative care for residents with severe dementia in long-term care facilities. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive design was used. Data were collected during in-depth interviews with 20 nursing staff members from four Norwegian long-term care facilities. Content previously identified as moral distress was reanalysed by thematic text analysis, as described by Braun and Clarke, to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. RESULTS: The nursing staff members' experiences of moral distress were generally of two types: those in which nursing staff members felt pressured to provide futile end-of-life treatment and those in which they felt that they had been prevented from providing necessary care and treatment. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that nursing staff members' experiences of moral distress were related to institutional constraints such as time limitations and challenging prioritizations, but they were more often related to value conflicts. Nursing staff members experienced moral distress when they felt obligated to provide care and treatment to residents with severe dementia that conflicted with their own values and knowledge about good palliative care. Both education interventions focused on improving nursing staff members' skills regarding communication, ethical judgement and coping strategies; in addition, supportive and responsive leadership may have significant value with regard to reducing moral distress. Our findings indicate a need for further research on interventions that can support nursing staff members dealing with ethical conflicts in providing palliative care to residents with dementia.

Ethical Conflict and Knowledge Hiding in Teams: Moderating Role of Workplace Friendship in Education Sector.

Ethical conflicts arise when there is no unity between the team members and shared ethical priorities. This study aimed to identify the relationship between ethical value unity, team knowledge hiding, the relationship between the lack of shared ethical priorities and the team knowledge hiding. Workplace friendship was taken as a moderating variable to check its regulating role between the ethical conflicts and the team knowledge hiding. Data of this study were collected from the staff working in different colleges and universities. There are a total of 480 responses collected through convenience sampling technique and analyzed under a five-point Likert scale. The partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique is used in this study. The key reason was that this approach has the fewest requirements for data normality and is a better tool for evaluating exploratory connections empirically. The output of the measurement model assessment confirms that all measurement scales are reliable. The result indicates that there was a significant and positive relationship between ethical value congruence and knowledge hiding. It was also established that there was a relationship between lack of shared ethical priorities and knowledge hiding. Workplace friendship moderated the relationship between ethical conflicts and team knowledge hiding. This study extends the literature on ethical conflict and knowledge hiding behavior. This study highlights that one of the main reasons for knowledge hiding behavior at the team level in the organization is which helps the business practicians for a design of an effective strategy to mitigate the knowledge hiding behavior in the organization.

[On the ethics of corona apps]. / Mit Kontaktdaten gegen die Pandemie: Zur Ethik von Corona Warn-Apps.

Definition of the problem: In spring 2020, as much of the world was emerging from widespread "lockdowns" as an emergency measure to combat the spread of SARS-CoV­2, there was sustained discussion about how to lift measures while preventing further waves of the virus and the need for further lockdowns. One strategy that attracted significant attention was the use of digital contact-tracing apps to quickly alert users of possible exposure to the virus, and to direct them into quarantine. The initially high expectations placed upon this strategy were not met-despite the implementation of a digital contact-tracing app in Germany, further restrictions have been placed on the general population in response to further waves of the virus. We consider how digital contact tracing might have been made more effective. Arguments: We argue that there is a conflict between collecting as little data as possible, and more effective epidemic control. In contrast to the "Corona-Warn-App" that was implemented in Germany, an app that stored more information on a central server (a so-called "centralized" app) had the potential to significantly decrease viral spread. We then look at the privacy-based arguments against the centralized storage of information, suggesting that "decentralized" systems have privacy problems of their own. Results: The German debate on digital contact tracing apps was quickly dominated by privacy concerns, to the detriment of other ethical factors such as enhancing potential effectiveness. Furthermore, the potential problems with privacy inherent in decentralized apps were obscured in the discussion. Once we recognize these two aspects, we can see that there is an argument to be made for preferring centralized digital contact-tracing apps.

Managing ethical aspects of advance directives in emergency care services.

BACKGROUND: In Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services professionals experience situations in which they face difficulties or barriers to know patient's advance directives and implement them. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the barriers, facilitators, and ethical conflicts perceived by health professionals derived from the management of advance directives in emergency services. RESEARCH DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND CONTEXT: This is a qualitative phenomenological study conducted with purposive sampling including a population of nursing and medical professionals linked to Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services. Three focus groups were formed, totalling 24 participants. We performed an inductive-type thematic discourse analysis. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This study was approved by ethical committees of Ethical Commitee of Clínic Hospital (Barcelona) and Comittee of Emergency Medical Services (Barcelona). The participants received information about the purpose of the study. Patients' anonymity and willingness to participate in the study were guaranteed. FINDINGS: There were four types of barriers that hindered the proper management of patients' advance directives in Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services: personal and professional, family members, organisational and structural, and those derived from the health system. These barriers caused ethical conflicts and hindered professionals' decision-making. DISCUSSION: These results are in line with those of previous studies and indicate that factors such as gender, professional category, and years of experience, in addition to professionals' beliefs and the opinions of colleagues and family members, can also influence the professionals' final decisions. CONCLUSION: The different strategies described in this study can contribute to the development of health policies and action protocols to help reduce both the barriers that hinder the correct management and implementation of advance directives and the ethical conflicts generated.

Ethical Conflicts Experienced by Nurses in Geriatric Hospitals in South Korea: "If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen".

Ethical conflicts among nurses can undermine nurses' psychological comfort and compromise the quality of patient care. In the last decade, several empirical studies on the phenomena related to ethical conflicts, such as ethical dilemmas, issues, problems, difficulties, or challenges, have been reported; however, they have not always deeply explored the meaning of ethical conflicts experienced by nurses in geriatric care. This study aims to understand the lived experiences of ethical conflict of nurses in geriatric hospitals in South Korea. A phenomenological study was conducted. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were performed with nine registered nurses who cared for elderly patients in geriatric hospitals in South Korea between August 2015 and January 2016. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) confusing values for good nursing, (2) distress resulting from not taking required action despite knowing about a problem, and (3) avoiding ethical conflicts as a last resort. It was found that for geriatric nurses to cope with ethical conflicts successfully, clear ethical guidance, continuing ethics education to improve ethical knowledge and moral behaviors, and a supportive system or program to resolve ethical conflicts involving nurses should be established.

Ethical conflicts in patient relationships: Experiences of ambulance nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Working as an ambulance nurse involves facing ethically problematic situations with multi-dimensional suffering, requiring the ability to create a trustful relationship. This entails a need to be clinically trained in order to identify ethical conflicts. AIM: To describe ethical conflicts in patient relationships as experienced by ambulance nursing students during clinical studies. RESEARCH DESIGN: An exploratory and interpretative design was used to inductively analyse textual data from examinations in clinical placement courses. PARTICIPANTS: The 69 participants attended a 1-year educational programme for ambulance nurses at a Swedish university. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants gave voluntary informed consent for this study. FINDINGS: The students encountered ethical conflicts in patient relationships when they had inadequate access to the patient's narrative. Doubts regarding patient autonomy were due to uncertainty regarding the patient's decision-making ability, which forced students to handle patient autonomy. Conflicting assessments of the patient's best interest added to the conflicts and also meant a disruption in patient focus. The absence of trustful relationships reinforced the ethical conflicts, together with an inadequacy in meeting different needs, which limited the possibility of providing proper care. DISCUSSION: Contextual circumstances add complexity to ethical conflicts regarding patient autonomy, dependency and the patient's best interest. Students felt they were fluctuating between paternalism and letting the patient choose, and were challenged by considerations regarding the patient's communication and decision-making ability, the views of third parties, and the need for prioritisation. CONCLUSION: The essence of the patient relationship is a struggle to preserve autonomy while focusing on the patient's best interest. Hence, there is a need for education and training that promotes ethical knowledge and ethical reflection focusing on the core nursing and caring values of trust and autonomy, particularly in situations that affect the patient's decision-making ability.

Nursing students' ethical dilemmas regarding patient care: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: The ethical and moral complexities are inherent to nursing practice. Ethical dilemmas of professional nurses and nursing students' ethical concerns with their preceptors are well-documented. No reviews have synthesized students' ethical dilemmas regarding patient care. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of nursing students' ethical dilemmas regarding patient care in clinical settings. DESIGN: An integrative review based on Whittemore and Knafl's methodology. DATA SOURCES: Literature was searched within PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science Direct databases and 13 articles including eight qualitative, three quantitative, one mixed methods and one secondary data analysis were reviewed. The articles were published from January 2000-March 2019. REVIEW METHODS: The Mixed Methods Critical Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment. Two reviewers independently reviewed the articles and the third reviewer validated the extracted and synthesized findings. Literature summary tables were developed for data extraction and thematic synthesis techniques and narratives were used for data synthesis. For synthesis, findings from strongly and moderately rated studies were given more weight and those from the low-quality studies were used to support the synthesized themes. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: a) applying learned ethical values vs. accepting unethical practices, b) desiring to provide ethical care but lacking autonomous decision making, and c) Silence vs. whistleblowing patient care neglects. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students feel torn between the conflicts of whether to provide ethical care or accept unethical practices, stay silent about patient care neglect or confront and report it, provide ethical and quality care or adapt to the culture due to lack of autonomous decision making. Such conflicts can be detrimental to students' professional learning and mental health. Therefore, educators and nursing institutions should develop programs to support students and help them develop ethical competence and courage to confront such dilemmas.

Conflictos éticos detectados por psicólogos/as de la atención primaria de salud / Conflitos éticos detectados por psicólogos/as da atenção primária de saúde / Ethical conflicts detected by psychologists of Primary Health Care

Resumen: Objetivo: Identificar la detección de conflictos éticos por parte de los psicólogos/as en el contexto de la atención primaria de salud (APS); determinar su compresión y analizar la descripción de cada uno. Diseño la investigación: Estudio cualitativo, tipo exploratorio-descriptivo. Participantes: 25 psicólogas/os de un universo total de 28 profesionales. Método: El instrumento de recolección de información fue la entrevista semiestructurada, y la técnica de análisis de resultados el análisis narrativo de contenido. Resultados: Los informantes detectan un total de treinta y ocho conflictos éticos claramente diferenciados, argumentando a catorce de ellos como críticos. La categorización permitió diferenciar tres categorías distintas desde las que se establecen y representan: a) atención a consultantes; b) relación entre colegas y con otros profesionales de salud, y c) contexto de trabajo en salud pública. Conclusiones: El estudio permitió acceder a las problemáticas percibidas por los informantes, coincidiendo en que varios de estos conflictos han permanecido naturalizados y normalizados en el tiempo. Surge la necesidad de revisar y visibilizar los cuestionamientos identificados para que establezcan los mínimos necesarios que permitan ser garantes de intervenciones de calidad y excelencia requerida en la salud mental del nivel primario de atención.

Resumo: Objetivo: Identificar a detecção de conflitos éticos por parte dos Psicólogos/as no contexto da APS, determinar sua compreensão e analisar a descrição de cada um. Desenho da pesquisa: Estudo qualitativo, tipo exploratório-descritivo. Participantes: 25 Psicólogos/as, de um universo total de 28 profissionais. Método: O instrumento de coleta de informações foi uma entrevista semiestruturada e a técnica de análise de resultados, a análise narrativa de conteúdo. Resultados: Os informantes detectam um total de trinta e oito conflitos éticos claramente diferenciados, considerando quatorze deles como críticos. A categorização permitiu diferenciar três categorias distintas de onde eles estão estabelecidos e representam: a) atenção a pessoa em consulta; b) relação entre colegas e com outros profissionais da saúde; e c) contexto de trabalho em saúde pública. Conclusões: O estudo permitiu acessar as problemáticas percebidas pelos informantes, coincidindo em que vários destes conflitos permaneceram naturalizados e padronizados no tempo. Surge a necessidade de revisar e visibilizar os questionamentos identificados para que se estabeleçam os padrões* mínimos necessários que permitam ser garantidores de intervenções de qualidade e excelência requeridas na saúde mental do nível primário de atenção.

Abstract: Objectives: To identify the detection of ethical conflicts by psychologists in the context of PHC, determine their understanding and analyze the description of each one. Design: Qualitative study, exploratory-descriptive type. Participants: 25 psychologists, from a total universe of 28 professionals. Method: The data collection instrument was the semi-structured interview and the results analysis technique was the narrative analysis of content. Results: The informants detected a total of thirty-eight clearly differentiated ethical conflicts, arguing fourteen of them as critics. The categorization allowed differentiating three different categories from where they are established and represent: a) attention to consultants; b) relationship between colleagues and with other health professionals; and c) work context in public health. Conclusions The study allowed access to the problems perceived by the informants, agreeing that several of these conflicts have remained naturalized and normalized over time. The need arises to review and make visible the identified questions in order to establish the minimums necessary to be guarantors of quality interventions and excellence required in the mental health of the primary level of care.

An analysis of nursing students' ethical conflicts in a hospital.

BACKGROUND: Education can be taken as a key factor in transmission of a value tradition in healthcare. In professional and educational contexts, transmission of values appears to be a kind of guarantee for an occupational group's professional identity, awareness and ethical integrity. Given the positives of such transmission of value traditions, one can also pay attention to conflicts between the professional tradition and individuals who are brought into that tradition. OBJECTIVES: How does mediation of value tradition in healthcare education appear out of the students' perspective based on their own narratives? RESEARCH DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Students' texts were analysed through a combination of contrastive discourse analysis and sociohistorical description and then evaluated from an ethical perspective. Data were collected from the annual electronic feedback given by students after their clinical practice at a University Hospital. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Organizational approval was received. Information about the voluntary nature of participation was a part of the feedback tool. FINDINGS: The analysis points to the fact that there is a definite theme in the students' experiences that both the previous research has neglected and that stands in conflict with the current tradition of healthcare education in Finland. That theme can be summarized in the experience of 'losing one's identity', and it is expressed in a request to experience of 'losing one's identity' and it is expressed in a request to have a right to 'use one's own name' also as a healthcare professional. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Being addressed by one's name is to make the person directly involved and responsible, realizing that that person's perspective is of importance to the way the world is. We argue that this theme (my name) is of ethical importance and could have empowering potentiality when used in an ethically sound way.

Are the management objectives for hospital physicians ethical? / ¿Son éticos los objetivos de gestión para los médicos de nuestros hospitales?

Management objectives at times create significant value conflicts that have so far been seldom studied. This article analyses the ethical issues created by the operational objectives of management for physicians who work in Spanish hospitals. These issues are as follows: 1) the current system places quantity above quality, which represents a predominantly economist management perspective; 2) the system is hierarchical, lacks participation and deprives clinicians of decision-making authority; 3) the objectives are focused on outdated activities in terms of the current reality of the healthcare system and should therefore be updated considering, for example, chronicity and the continuity of care. After analysing these issues, we created a proposal for developing management objectives based on prioritising quality care (which ultimately results in efficient management), developing objectives in a participatory and mixed manner (with group and individual objectives) and designing new objectives in keeping with the current reality of the healthcare system. Putting this proposal into practice is not complicated because the final goal of clinicians and management is to provide optimal health care.

Humanitarian medical aid to the Syrian people: Ethical implications and dilemmas.

Medical professionals providing humanitarian aid in times of crisis face complicated ethical and clinical challenges. Today, humanitarian aid is given in accordance with existing guidelines developed by international humanitarian organizations and defined by international law. This paper considers the ethical aspects and frameworks of an atypical humanitarian project, namely one that provides medical support through an Israeli civilian hospital to Syrian Civil War casualties. We explore new ethical questions in this unique situation that pose a serious challenge for the medical community and conventional ethical norms, a challenge Israeli medical staff meet on a daily basis. Before discussing the ethical challenges, we give a description of the project and its unique status.

Development and content validation of a questionnaire to assess moral distress among social workers in long-term care facilities.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the significance of ethical issues faced by social workers, research on moral distress among social workers has been extremely limited. The aim of the current study is to describe the development and content validation of a unique questionnaire to measure moral distress among social workers in long-term care facilities for older adults in Israel. METHODS: The construction of the questionnaire was based on a secondary analysis of a qualitative study that addressed the moral dilemma of social workers in nursing homes in Israel. A content validation included review and evaluation by two experts, a cognitive interview with a nursing home social worker, and three focus groups of experts and the target population. RESULTS: The initial questionnaire consisted of 25 items. After the content validation process the questionnaire in its final version, consisted of 17 items and included two scales, measuring the frequency of morally loaded events and the intensity of distress that followed them. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the questionnaire can contribute by broadening and deepening ethics discourse and research, with regard to social workers' obligation dilemmas and conflicts.

Perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among Korean occupational physicians.

BACKGROUND: Occupational physicians (OPs) have complex relationships with employees, employers, and the general public. OPs may have simultaneous obligations towards third parties, which can lead to variable conflicts of interests. Among the various studies of ethical issues related to OPs, few have focused on the Korean OPs. The aim of the present survey was to investigate the ethical contexts, the practical resolutions, and the ethical principles for the Korean OPs. METHODS: An email with a self-administered questionnaire was sent to members of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, comprising 150 specialists and 130 residents. The questionnaire was also distributed to 52 specialists and 46 residents who attended the annual meeting of the Korean Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics in October 2015, and to 240 specialists by uploading the questionnaire to the online community 'oem-doctors' in February 2016. The responses to each question (perception of general ethical conflicts, recognition of various ethical codes for OPs, core professional values in ethics of occupational medicine, and a mock case study) were compared between specialists and residents by the chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Responses were received from 80 specialists and 71 residents. Most participants had experienced ethical conflicts at work and felt the need for systematic education and training. OPs suffered the most ethical conflicts in decisions regarding occupational health examination and evaluation for work relatedness. Over 60% of total participants were unaware of the ethical codes of other countries. Participants thought 'consideration of worker's health and safety' (26.0%) and 'neutrality' (24.7%) as the prominent ethical values in professionality ofoccupational medicine. In mock cases, participants chose beneficence and justice for fitness for work and confidential information acquired while on duty, and beneficence and respect for autonomy in pre-placement examinations. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the current perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among the Korean OPs. These findings will facilitate the development of a code of ethics and the ethical decision-making program forthe Korean OPs.

Consideraciones del bioderecho sobre la eutanasia en colombia

Este artículo aborda de manera reflexiva las incidencias del bioderecho sobre situaciones de eutanasia en Colombia, al interpretar conflictos morales y jurídicos suscitados por las sentencias de la Corte Constitucional C239 de 1997, T970 de 2014 y la Resolución del Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social 1216, de 2015. El propósito fundamental es el análisis de las decisiones judiciales sobre el final de la vida humana. Por lo tanto, se realiza una revisión de la construcción histórica y jurídica del concepto de eutanasia y se propone la discusión sobre su manejo jurídico y su influencia en el colectivo moral. Asimismo, se diserta sobre el concepto de dignidad humana y muerte digna, como precedentes para dirimir los conflictos éticos que la eutanasia suscita. Al final, se analiza el caso de don Ovidio González, quien se convirtió en 2015 en el primer colombiano en recibir la eutanasia de manera legal dentro del sistema de salud.

This paper reflectively addresses the incidence of bio-law on euthanasia situations in Colombia by interpreting moral and legal disputes arising from the sentences of the Constitutional Court C239 of 1997, T970 of 2014, and Resolution 1216 of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of 2015. The main purpose is the analysis of judicial decisions regarding the end of human life. A review of the historical and legal construction of the euthanasia concept is done, and a discussion of its legal management and its influence on the moral collective is proposed. The concept of human dignity and dignified death are discussed to solve the ethical conflicts that euthanasia causes. Finally, the case of Ovidio González is analyzed; Mr Gonzalez became the first Colombian to receive euthanasia in a legal way within the health system in 2015.

Este artigo aborda de maneira reflexiva as incidências do Biodireito sobre situações de eutanásia na Colômbia, ao interpretar as disputas morais e legais decorrentes das decisões da Corte Constitucional C239 de 1997 T970 de 2014 e a Resolução do Ministério da Saúde e Proteção Social 1216, de 2015. O objetivo principal é a análise das decisões judiciais sobre o fim da vida humana. Portanto, realiza-se uma revisão da construção histórica e jurídica do conceito de eutanásia e propõe-se a discussão de sua administração legal e sua influência sobre o coletivo moral. Igualmente, expõe-se sobre o conceito de dignidade humana e morte digna, como precedentes para resolver os conflitos éticos que a eutanásia suscita. No final, e analisado o caso de Dom Ovidio González, que em 2015 se tornou o primeiro colombiano a receber a eutanásia legalmente no interior do sistema de saúde.

Perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among Korean occupational physicians

BACKGROUND: Occupational physicians (OPs) have complex relationships with employees, employers, and the general public. OPs may have simultaneous obligations towards third parties, which can lead to variable conflicts of interests. Among the various studies of ethical issues related to OPs, few have focused on the Korean OPs. The aim of the present survey was to investigate the ethical contexts, the practical resolutions, and the ethical principles for the Korean OPs. METHODS: An email with a self-administered questionnaire was sent to members of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, comprising 150 specialists and 130 residents. The questionnaire was also distributed to 52 specialists and 46 residents who attended the annual meeting of the Korean Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics in October 2015, and to 240 specialists by uploading the questionnaire to the online community ‘oem-doctors’ in February 2016. The responses to each question (perception of general ethical conflicts, recognition of various ethical codes for OPs, core professional values in ethics of occupational medicine, and a mock case study) were compared between specialists and residents by the chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. RESULTS: Responses were received from 80 specialists and 71 residents. Most participants had experienced ethical conflicts at work and felt the need for systematic education and training. OPs suffered the most ethical conflicts in decisions regarding occupational health examination and evaluation for work relatedness. Over 60% of total participants were unaware of the ethical codes of other countries. Participants thought ‘consideration of worker’s health and safety’ (26.0%) and ‘neutrality’ (24.7%) as the prominent ethical values in professionality ofoccupational medicine. In mock cases, participants chose beneficence and justice for fitness for work and confidential information acquired while on duty, and beneficence and respect for autonomy in pre-placement examinations. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the current perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among the Korean OPs. These findings will facilitate the development of a code of ethics and the ethical decision-making program forthe Korean OPs. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40557-017-0182-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.