Document Detail


Ethics in cardiothoracic surgery: a survey of surgeons' views.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20609739     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Cardiothoracic surgeons are frequently confronted with complex ethical issues. Educational efforts to help surgeons navigate such issues have been undertaken in recent years, but their effectiveness is uncertain.
METHODS: A survey instrument exploring the effects of ethics educational sessions at annual meetings and publications in cardiothoracic surgery journals was sent electronically to cardiothoracic surgeons who belong to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
RESULTS: Of 3,705 surgeons, 578 responded (15.6%). The majority of respondents practice in an academic setting (55%), attended at least two of the last five Society annual meetings (66%), and at least one of the last five Association annual meetings (68%). A majority of respondents agreed that their own practices would be improved (69%) and that cardiothoracic surgeons in general would benefit (83%) from better understanding of ethical issues. Respondents also believed that demonstration of an adequate understanding of ethical issues should be part of both American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification and maintenance of certification processes (61% and 60%, respectively). Among respondents who attended ethics presentations at annual meetings, only 4% believed that the sessions did not improve their understanding of complex ethical issues, and only 10% believed that the sessions did not affect their surgical practices.
CONCLUSIONS: The survey suggested that efforts toward ethics education for cardiothoracic surgeons might be both relevant and important; the results encourage continuation and further improvement of such efforts.
Authors:
Thomas A D'Amico; Martin F McKneally; Robert M Sade
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Annals of thoracic surgery     Volume:  90     ISSN:  1552-6259     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann. Thorac. Surg.     Publication Date:  2010 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-08     Completed Date:  2010-08-03     Revised Date:  2011-10-31    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  15030100R     Medline TA:  Ann Thorac Surg     Country:  Netherlands    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  11-13.e1-4     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright 2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Ethics, Clinical
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Thoracic Surgery / ethics*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
UL1 RR029882-03/RR/NCRR NIH HHS; UL1RR029882/RR/NCRR NIH HHS

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