Measuring value sensitivity in medicine

BMC Medical Ethics

Research Article

Christian Ineichen¹  Markus Christen²  Carmen Tanner³ 

[1] Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland;Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland;University Research Priority Program Ethics, Zollikerstrasse 117, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland;Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin, Zeppelin University, Am Seemooser Horn 20, 88045, Friedrichshafen, Germany;Department of Banking and Finance, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland;

关键词: Value sensitivity;    Moral sensitivity;    Ethical sensitivity;    Moral values;    Moral competences;    Medical ethics training;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12910-016-0164-7

 received in 2016-05-11, accepted in 2016-12-29,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundValue sensitivity – the ability to recognize value-related issues when they arise in practice – is an indispensable competence for medical practitioners to enter decision-making processes related to ethical questions. However, the psychological competence of value sensitivity is seldom an explicit subject in the training of medical professionals. In this contribution, we outline the traditional concept of moral sensitivity in medicine and its revised form conceptualized as value sensitivity and we propose an instrument that measures value sensitivity.MethodsWe developed an instrument for assessing the sensitivity for three value groups (moral-related values, values related to the principles of biomedical ethics, strategy-related values) in a four step procedure: 1) value identification (n = 317); 2) value representation (n = 317); 3) vignette construction and quality evaluation (n = 37); and 4) instrument validation by comparing nursing professionals with hospital managers (n = 48).ResultsWe find that nursing professionals recognize and ascribe importance to principle-related issues more than professionals from hospital management. The latter are more likely to recognize and ascribe importance to strategy-related issues.ConclusionsThese hypothesis-driven results demonstrate the discriminatory power of our newly developed instrument, which makes it useful not only for health care professionals in practice but for students and people working in the clinical context as well.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017