Table 2.
Number of physicians in general practice/family medicine reporting having difficulties in solving ethical dilemmas in their practice
| Ethical problem | No. (%) of physicians |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| very easy to solve | easy to solve | average difficulty | quite hard to solve | very hard to solve | no answer | ||
| 1. Patients' temporary inability to work | 2 (1.4) | 20 (14.1) | 80 (56.4) | 28 (19.7) | 7 (4.9) | 5 (3.5) | |
| 2. Relationship with specialized health care | 2 (1.4) | 9 (6.3) | 60 (42.3) | 55 (38.7) | 13 (9.2) | 3 (2.1) | |
| 3. Usage of limited resources | 2 (1.4) | 7 (4.9) | 40 (28.2) | 60 (42.3) | 30 (21.1) | 3 (2.1) | |
| 4. Patients trying to abuse the health care services | 0 (0) | 8 (5.7) | 55 (38.7) | 50 (35.2) | 25 (17.6) | 4 (2.8) | |
| 5. Confidentiality | 17 (11.9) | 62 (43.7) | 44 (31.0) | 14 (9.9) | 1 (0.7) | 4 (2.8) | |
| 6. Abandoned and unattended patients or patients with insufficient means of support | 1 (0.7) | 4 (2.8) | 12 (8.5) | 52 (36.6) | 69 (48.6) | 4 (2.8) | |
| 7. Communication of bad news to patients | 7 (4.9) | 35 (24.6) | 62 (43.7) | 31 (21.9) | 3 (2.1) | 4 (2.8) | |
| 8. Disputes within the clinic team | 18 (12.7) | 35 (24.7) | 44 (31.0) | 29 (20.4) | 11 (7.7) | 5 (3.5) | |
| 9. Patients requesting prescription | 12 (8.5) | 40 (28.2) | 67 (47.2) | 13 (9.1) | 4 (2.8) | 6 (4.2) | |
| 10. Difficulties in updating physicians’ education | 16 (11.3) | 31 (21.8) | 52 (36.6) | 25 (17.6) | 15 (10.6) | 3 (2.1) | |
| 11. Controversial situation regarding pharmaceutical industry | 42 (29.6) | 43 (30.3) | 36 (25.3) | 16 (11.3) | 1 (0.7) | 4 (2.8) | |
| 12. Suspicions of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other criminal offense | 6 (4.2) | 1 (0.7) | 18 (12.7) | 53 (37.3) | 58 (40.9) | 6 (4.2) | |
| 13. Seeing adolescents | 7 (4.9) | 17 (12.0) | 60 (42.3) | 33 (23.2) | 20 (14.1) | 5 (3.5) | |
| 14. Seeing immigrants | 11 (7.8) | 23 (16.2) | 68 (47.9) | 26 (18.3) | 10 (7.0) | 4 (2.8) | |