KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF HEALTHCARE ETHICS AMONG DOCTORS WORKING IN SELECTED HOSPITALS OF PAKISTAN: AN ONLINE SURVEY

In healthcare professionals should possess sufficient knowledge of ethics and they should practice ethics with positive attitudes. However, review of literature shows that the healthcare ethics are neglected inside Pakistan. Keeping this in mind, this study has examined knowledge level, attitude type and nature of practice regarding Healthcare Ethics among doctors working in selected hospitals of Pakistan. Using the Cross-sectional design, data was collected from (n=544) doctors through an online self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed over descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that doctors possessed sufficient knowledge about healthcare ethics. For such reasons, the doctors had adopted good ethical practices. Knowledge level, attitudinal patterns & types of practices varied according to sociodemographic characteristics. Also, sociodemographic variables were significantly associated with three dimensions of Healthcare Ethics. Findings obtained from this study have provided valuable insights regarding status of healthcare ethics in Pakistan. This study concludes that continuous emphasis should be made on increasing awareness about the healthcare ethics in Pakistan.