Medical physicists perception of the role of bioethics in their professional practice

Abstract

Objective: To study the medical physicists standpoint regarding their relationship with bioethics.

Materials and methods: A survey was designed and addressed to members of the Sociedad Española de Física Médica in which a number of different questions related to bioethics were set. Other variables were also collected from each respondent, such as age, working area and knowlege on bioethics, which were categorized in order to analyse their relevance. The frequency of the responses was represented by means of histograms.

Results: The survey revealed the existence of issues, such as the perception of the frequency of ethic conflicts, the bioethics training or the responsibility with the patient, in which there is not a defined criteria among medical physicists. Survey respondents with greater knowledge of bioethics replied to some questions by marking the answers that indicated a closer relationship between professionals and bioethics and patients.

Conclusions: The medical physicists perception regarding bioethics presents an important variability. The way we think the bioethics training should to be, represents an important issue to be tackled, since it may lead to a change of paradigm in the way medical physicists react to ethical problems or in their relationship with patients.