MEDICAL SPECIALISTS AND ETHICS COMMITTEES IN HEALTHCARE ESTABLISHMENTS IN BULGARIA

• Main Authors: Neli Gradinarova (Author), Emilian Radev (Author), Natalia Shtereva-Nikolova (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Peytchinski Publishing, 2019-03-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.5272/jimab.2019251.2447; 1312-773X
• Keywords: medical specialists; ethics committees; Bulgaria; Dentistry; RK1-715; Medicine (General); R5-920
• Source: Journal of IMAB, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 2447-2451 (2019)

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.