Medical ethics education and awareness: Insights from a study among pakistani medical students and faculty members
1 Department of Family medicine, Bahria University Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
2 Department of Emergency medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
3 Department of General Surgery, Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Research Article
World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2024, 19(03), 152–159.
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjbphs.2024.19.3.0604
Publication history:
Received on 28 July 2024; revised on 07 September 2024; accepted on 10 September 2024
Abstract:
This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards medical ethics among medical and dental students and faculty members at five medical universities in Karachi, Pakistan. Utilizing a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based design, the research included 438 participants. The study found that while a majority of participants were aware of the four basic principles of medical ethics, only 15.3% could correctly identify all of them. The primary mode of ethics education was through lectures and seminars, with less emphasis on interactive learning methods. The study also revealed a significant gap in faculty engagement and understanding of medical ethics. Although the majority of participants were aware of their institution's ethics committee, a significant proportion were unaware of its existence. The study highlights the need to enhance faculty engagement, address gaps in comprehensive understanding, adopt more interactive teaching methods, and increase the curricular emphasis on medical ethics in Pakistan.
Keywords:
Medical ethics awareness; Healthcare professional ethical competencies; Bioethics; Medical education; Ethics knowledge gap
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