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Table 1 Prevalence and Scope of Health Care Ethics Programs (HCEPs) in US General Hospitals

From: Health care ethics programs in U.S. Hospitals: results from a National Survey

Hospital category

Population estimate (% of hospitals)

Hospital has a HCEP (N = 462)

Content areas included in the scope of HCEPs (N = 291)

Clinical ethics

Business ethics

Research ethics

Regulatory compliance

Ethical leadership

Bed size

      

1–99 (reference category)

96.0

100

16.7

0

27.8

27.8

100–199

97.4

90.9

36.4

13.6

27.3

34.1

200–299

98.8

96.2

36.5

23.1

38.5

50.0

300–399

98.5

100

31.1

26.7**

33.3

46.7

400–499

97.7

97.0

30.3

36.4**

18.2

60.6

500 + 

99.3

97.0

25.3

35.4**

28.3

36.4

Ownership

      

Govt. (Federal)

100.0

97.0

66.2

19.8

29.8

93.9

Govt. (non-Federal)

98.3

96.6

37.7

3.9

16.0

43.4

Investor-owned; for-profit

97.5

96.8

15.0

3.8

26.8

27.6

Nongovt. (not-for-profit)—church operated

99.7

97.7

26.6

15.8

31.1

40.6

Nongovt. (not-for-profit)—other

95.4

96.9

22.0

16.0

33.5

29.2

Academic affiliation

      

Major teaching

100.0

98.9

33.1

44.8**

33.8

52.2

Minor teaching

99.5

96.6

31.6

17.8**

32.2

50.2

Non-teaching (reference category)

95.6

97.1

21.8

5.2

26.4

24.2

Location

      

Urban

98.8

96.6

30.5

27.4*

29.7

44.7

Rural (reference category)

95.0

96.0

24.0

16.0

28.0

16.0

Total

97.1

97.0

26.2

12.6

29.0

35.7

  1. *p < .01
  2. **p < .0001