Original scientific paper
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CROATIAN HOSPITAL ETHICS COMMITTEES: OPPORTUNITY OR BUREAUCRATIC CUL-DE-SAC?
Ana BOROVEČKI
Henk ten HAVE
Stjepan OREŠKOVIĆ
Abstract
The objective of our investigation was to study the work and membership
structure of the hospital ethics committees in Croatia. The
main goals were examining the knowledge and attitudes of
participants and everyday functioning of hospital ethics committees.
Results show that the structure and composition of the
hospital ethics committees are highly legalistic and formal. Most of
them were established after the introduction of the legal provisions
for ethics committees in Croatia. In the majority of cases, the
number of members and their occupation are an exact replica of
the structure of the committees required by law. Consistent with
previous surveys, our data also shows that the main task of ethics
committees in hospitals was an analysis of research protocols,
thus neglecting the other functions important for a hospital ethics
committee. The level of the members' knowledge is average but
insufficient for the complicated tasks that they are supposed to
perform. Their views on certain issues and bioethical dilemmas
display a high level of paternalism and overprotectiveness of their
patients. The majority of respondents are 50 years and older with,
in most cases, no formal education in the field of bioethics.
Keywords
hospital ethics committee; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
18915
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2006.
Visits: 2.505 *