Knowledge of the concept, committees, and codes of bioethics in resident doctors of the specialty of traumatology and orthopedics

Abstract

Introduction: The training of a resident doctor in the field of bioethics is fundamental in medical practice since it takes up the philosophy, its concepts, and norms. Having clarity in the concepts that contribute to their reflection in order to identify the situations that require a consultation with a hospital bioethics committee, as well as the management of the specialty code and favor the doctor-patient relationship.

Method: An instrument was applied to 36 resident physicians of a public hospital in the State of Puebla. The data is anonymous, voluntary, and confidential through a descriptive study; the results are shown in percentage.

Results: 97.2% of the resident doctors studied undergraduate bioethics. 42.7% are not clear about the concept of bioethics, 91.7% recognized the existence of a bioethics committee and identified who has the right to consult it, however, 58.3% managed to discern in which situations the committee should not be consulted. 77.8% have not read the code of bioethics and 86.1% do not know the code of ethics of the Mexican Society of Orthopedics.

Conclusions: There is no clarity in the concept of bioethics, nor adequate knowledge in the consultation of the bioethics committee in traumatology and orthopedic resident doctors, which could indicate the lack of interest and the little utility that they give to this discipline for its application in clinical practice.