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Table 6 Issues in different aspects of healthcare ethics

From: Knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare ethics among resident doctors and ward nurses from a resource poor setting, Nepal

Issues in healthcare ethics

Agree

Disagree

Chi square

Cramer’s V

P-value

Patient wishes must always be adhered to

 Doctors

79 (66.9)

39(33.1)

4.40

0.14

0.036*

 Nurses

69(80.2)

17(19.8)

Patient should always be informed of wrong doing

 Doctors

83(70.3)

35(29.7)

0.008

0.006

0.930

 Nurses

60(69.7)

26(30.3)

Confidentiality is not important

 Doctors

9 (7.6)

109 (92.4)

1.53

0.87

0.215

 Nurses

3 (3.5)

83 (96.5)

Doctor should do irrespective of patient’s opinion

 Doctors

71(60.2)

47(39.8)

0.90

0.06

0.341

 Nurses

46(53.5)

40(46.5)

Close relative should always be told about patient’s opinion

 Doctors

91(77.1)

27(22.9)

14.91

0.27

<0.001*

 Nurses

83(96.5)

3(3.5)

Children should never be treated without the consent of their parents

 Doctors

85(72.0)

33(28.0)

5.58

0.16

0.017*

 Nurses

74(86.0)

12(14.0)

If law allows abortion, doctors cannot refuse to do abortion

 Doctors

54(45.7)

64(54.3)

11.62

0.23

0.001*

 Nurses

60(69.7)

26(30.3)

If there is disagreement between patients/families and health care professionals about treatment decisions, doctors decision should be final

 Doctors

24(20.3)

94(79.7)

4.58

0.15

0.032*

 Nurses

8(9.3)

78(90.7)

Ethical conduct is only important to avoid legal action

 Doctors

13(11.0)

105(89.0)

2.34

0.10

0.125

 Nurses

16(18.6)

70(81.4)

Ethics as part of a syllabus should be taught in every medical/nursing teaching institution

 Doctors

116(98.3)

2(1.7)

0.097

0.02

0.755

 Nurses

85(98.8)

1(1.2)

It is very difficult to keep confidentiality, so it should be abandoned

 Doctors

3(2.5)

115(97.5)

6.88

0.18

0.009*

 Nurses

10(11.6)

76(88.4)

Doctors are receiving income from referring patients for medical tests

 Doctors

80(67.8)

38(32.2)

1.17

0.076

0.874

 Nurses

52(60.5)

34(39.5)

Consent is only required for surgeries, not for tests and medicines

 Doctors

15(12.7)

103(87.3)

0.24

0.03

0.623

 Nurses

9(10.5)

77(89.5)

Copying answers in degree examinations is bad/sin

 Doctors

101(85.5)

17(14.5)

0.11

0.023

0.740

 Nurses

75(87.2)

11(12.8)

Acceptability in recording nervous system examination or blood pressure as normal when it has not been done for completion of documentation

 Doctors

11(9.3)

107(90.7)

7.49

0.19

0.006*

 Nurses

20(23.3)

66(76.7)

If a patient wishes to die, he or she should be assisted in doing so

 Doctors

11(9.3)

107(90.7)

1.06

0.07

0.302

 Nurses

12(14.0)

74(86.0)

Doctors are influenced by drug company inducements, including gifts

 Doctors

95(80.5)

23(19.5)

0.02

0.01

0.874

 Nurses

70(81.4)

16(18.6)

In order to prevent transmission of tuberculosis, disclosure of tuberculosis positive status to neighbours should be done

 Doctors

62(52.5)

56(47.5)

1.03

0.07

0.310

 Nurses

39(45.3)

47(54.7)

It is ethical to refuse a patient given a situation, a male doctor needs to examine a female patient and female attendant is not available

 Doctors

40(33.9)

78(66.1)

6.95

0.18

0.008*

 Nurses

45(52.3)

41(47.7)

Presence of interest in learning healthcare ethics

 Doctors

114(96.6)

4(2.0)

2.97

0.12

0.085

 Nurses

86(100.0)

0(0.0)

Doctors/nurses must serve hard to reach remote areas and under-served population

 Doctors

105(89.0)

13(11.0)

0.752

0.061

0.386

 Nurses

73(84.9)

13(15.1)

Necessity of incorporating medical ethics in undergraduate curriculum

 Doctors

115(97.4)

3(2.6)

15.19

0.27

<0.001*

 Nurses

70(81.3)

16(18.7)

  1. Data are frequencies (percentages), *p < 0.05 is statistically significant