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Table 5 Knowledge of the different key documents and ethical problem-solving methods and its connection to self-evaluated ethical competence

From: Self-evaluated ethical competence of a practicing physiotherapist: a national study in Finland

  

Character strength

Awareness

Skills

Will

Total

Document/ Method

n

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

FAP a

 Excellent

109

3.403

0.296

3.640

0.278

3.572

0.319

3.715

0.271

3.585

0.244

 Fairly well

474

3.241

0.313

3.462

0.316

3.280

0.363

3.590

0.332

3.396

0.277

 Rather poorly

216

3.121

0.295

3.334

0.324

3.086

0.340

3.440

0.346

3.248

0.275

 Not at all

36

3.101

0.300

3.381

0.311

2.993

0.415

3.493

0.349

3.238

0.271

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

WCPT b

 Excellent

20

3.625

0.198

3.743

0.239

3.794

0.209

3.903

0.125

3.763

0.140

 Fairly well

179

3.294

0.336

3.544

0.327

3.417

0.347

3.649

0.322

3.481

0.285

 Rather poorly

439

3.210

0.291

3.416

0.305

3.219

0.359

3.544

0.329

3.347

0.269

 Not at all

195

3.154

0.326

3.404

0.348

3.132

0.401

3.489

0.358

3.230

0.302

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

ETENE c

 Excellent

53

3.479

0.293

3.608

0.290

3.685

0.316

3.750

0.227

3.665

0.231

 Fairly well

372

3.260

0.312

3.464

0.322

3.314

0.358

3.588

0.338

3.408

0.286

 Rather poorly

326

3.185

0.307

3.414

0.314

3.173

0.353

3.530

0.337

3.326

0.271

 Not at all

79

3.076

0.293

3.357

0.340

3.039

0.409

3.464

0.365

3.238

0.283

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

Act on the Status and Rights of Patients [41]

 Excellent

139

3.381

0.313

3.617

0.291

3.552

0.336

3.689

0.286

3.567

0.260

 Fairly well

479

3.222

0.305

3.430

0.328

3.242

0.352

3.561

0.335

3.364

0.281

 Rather poorly

197

3.135

0.321

3.367

0.304

3.378

0.378

3.486

0.358

3.274

0.277

 Not at all

18

3.128

0.212

3.556

0.317

3.436

0.436

3.542

0.403

3.313

0.261

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

Personal data act [42]

 Excellent

120

3.391

0.315

3.622

0.301

3.534

0.356

3.679

0.292

3.563

0.273

 Fairly well

437

3.235

0.307

3.447

0.328

3.273

0.363

3.581

0.338

3.384

0.284

 Rather poorly

236

3.148

0.308

3.369

0.298

3.118

0.358

3.492

0.340

3.282

0.266

 Not at all

38

3.110

0.297

3.448

0.344

3.049

0.404

3.487

0.386

3.281

0.292

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

Consulting a specialist in ethics

 Excellent

11

3.614

0.323

3.786

0.297

3.818

0.239

3.795

0.211

3.762

0.227

 Fairly well

66

3.337

0.313

3.546

0.299

3.460

0.327

3.608

0.323

3.493

0.265

 Rather poorly

236

3.217

0.305

3.425

0.322

3.246

0.334

3.560

0.335

3.364

0.275

 Not at all

333

3.189

0.304

3.421

0.322

3.144

0.382

3.538

0.337

3.324

0.284

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

0.0414

 

<.0001

 

Consulting a colleague

 Excellent

288

3.295

0.313

3.489

0.325

3.326

0.370

3.598

0.322

3.428

0.284

 Fairly well

210

3.135

0.282

3.389

0.302

3.145

0.347

3.538

0.335

3.302

0.260

 Rather poorly

24

3.024

0.265

3.266

0.326

2.995

0.339

3.356

0.360

3.172

0.273

 Not at all

12

3.128

0.453

3.399

0.357

3.015

0.525

3.385

0.414

3.264

0.391

 p

 

<.0001

 

0.0002

 

<.0001

 

0.0008

 

<.0001

 

Theories in ethical decision-making

 Excellent

16

3.483

0.332

3.625

0.368

3.597

0.363

3.748

0.310

3.616

0.297

 Fairly well

212

3.308

0.307

3.523

0.332

3.430

0.346

3.643

0.320

3.482

0.279

 Rather poorly

307

3.203

0.307

3.425

0.324

3.235

0.359

3.533

0.342

3.350

0.287

 Not at all

268

3.187

0.319

3.429

0.316

3.141

0.384

3.545

0.332

3.328

0.278

 p

 

<.0001

 

0.0033

 

<.0001

 

0.0019

 

<.0001

 

Ethics literature

 Excellent

26

3.503

0.270

3.744

0.243

3.707

0.283

3.875

0.161

3.714

0.189

 Fairly well

195

3.307

0.300

3.497

0.320

3.399

0.345

3.627

0.296

3.460

0.266

 Rather poorly

378

3.198

0.301

3.417

0.330

3.185

0.344

3.531

0.345

3.332

0.281

 Not at all

115

3.107

0.322

3.381

0.305

3.021

0.377

3.469

0.354

3.251

0.271

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

Ethical committees

 Excellent

34

3.370

0.358

3.623

0.345

3.539

0.394

3.666

0.337

3.558

0.316

 Fairly well

134

3.329

0.338

3.527

0.293

3.397

0.318

3.668

0.281

3.483

0.250

 Rather poorly

341

3.201

0.300

3.411

0.328

3.216

0.362

3.546

0.346

3.343

0.285

 Not at all

204

3.162

0.301

3.412

0.319

3.114

0.388

3.500

0.343

3.301

0.281

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

Ethics education

 Excellent

16

3.653

0.224

3.820

0.191

3.843

0.179

3.875

0.143

3.806

0.147

 Fairly well

66

3.297

0.316

3.489

0.339

3.413

0.330

3.647

0.299

3.466

0.277

 Rather poorly

364

3.229

0.314

3.430

0.321

3.246

0.352

3.559

0.344

3.366

0.280

 Not at all

275

3.178

0.306

3.434

0.316

3.150

0.391

3.532

0.336

3.327

0.282

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

0.0002

 

<.0001

 

Group discussion

 Excellent

113

3.345

0.324

3.563

0.311

3.436

0.352

3.662

0.285

3.505

0.271

 Fairly well

259

3.202

0.300

3.429

0.305

3.228

0.341

3.575

0.324

3.358

0.262

 Rather poorly

161

3.192

0.318

3.390

0.335

3.146

0.353

3.489

0.364

3.307

0.286

 Not at all

87

3.126

0.277

3.403

0.313

3.034

0.408

3.498

0.348

3.269

0.282

 p

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

 
  1. aFinnish Association of Physiotherapists. 2014. Codes of Ethics [27]
  2. bWorld Confederation for Physical Therapy. 2011. Ethical Principles [26]
  3. cThe National Advisory Board on Social Welfare and Health Care Ethics. 2001. Shared values in health care, common goals and principles: Principles of Health Care Ethics [43]