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Publisher: Peytchinski Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 1312-773X (Online)
Issue: 2019, vol. 25, issue1
Subject Area: Medicine
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DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2019251.2447
Published online: 26 March 2019
Original article
J of IMAB. 2019 Jan-Mar;25(1):2447-2451
MEDICAL SPECIALISTS AND ETHICS COMMITTEES IN HEALTHCARE ESTABLISHMENTS IN BULGARIA
Neli Gradinarova1
, Emilian Radev2, Natalia Shtereva-Nikolova3,
1) Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria
2) Department of Prevention, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University- Sofia, Bulgaria
3) Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria.
ABSTRACT:
The legal framework in the Republic of Bulgaria governing the structure and the activity of ethics committees in the area of healthcare is contained in the laws and regulations in force. Ethics committees provide assistance to the medical and non-medical staff in healthcare establishments, to the patients and their families and friends, by helping them to resolve matters occurring on a daily basis. Ethics committees are an independent consultative body that provides opinions and assessments on cases concerning ethical issues arising in day-to-day practice in healthcare establishments.
In 2017, a survey was carried out with the participation of 149 medical specialists from three healthcare establishments in Bulgaria, where the purpose was to assess the awareness of the medical specialists of the existing and active ethics committees in the country. Based on the outcomes of the survey from 2017 and in execution of a project on the subject “Improvement of the access to ethics committees through training of medical specialists and patients in healthcare establishments in Bulgaria”, GRANT 2018, Contract No.D-98/03. 05. 2018 and Project with ref. No.7757/22. 11. 2017, three hundred information guides were drawn up and printed in order to be distributed and to inform medical specialists in healthcare establishments. In the period from 01. 07. 2018 until 01. 09. 2018, following the training and information campaign under Grant 2018, Contract No.D-98/03.05.2018, a consecutive survey was carried out, in which 213 medical specialists were surveyed.
The above surveys have indicated that the need for a change and improvement of the awareness of the medical specialists of the ethics committees operating in Bulgaria is immense. Healthcare establishments in Bulgaria should improve their information channels in regard to the existence of the ethics committees and the benefits of their activity. Such change would result in an improvement of the quality of the provided healthcare services, and on its turn this would lead to better health of the Bulgarian citizens.
Keywords: medical specialists, ethics committees, Bulgaria,
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Please cite this article as: Gradinarova N, Radev E, Shtereva-Nikolova N. Medical Specialists and ethics commitees in Healthcare Establshments in Bulgaria. J of IMAB. 2019 Jan-Mar;25(1):2447-2451. DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2019251.2447
Correspondence to: Neli Gradinarova, Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University – Sofia; 8, Bialo More Str., 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: neli.p.gradinarova@gmail.com
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Received: 07 November 2018
Published online: 26 March 2019