Abstract
There are currently no instruments available to measure ethical sensitivity in the therapeutic sciences. This study therefore aimed to develop and implement a measure of ethical sensitivity that would be applicable to four therapeutic professions, namely audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech-language pathology. The study followed a two-phase, sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. Phase One, the qualitative development phase, employed six stages and focused on developing an instrument based on a systematic review: an analysis of professional ethical codes, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, a review of public complaints websites, and an expert panel review. The development phase culminated in the Measuring Instrument for Ethical Sensitivity in the Therapeutic Sciences (MIEST), a pen-and-paper measure for studying ethical sensitivity in the therapeutic sciences. Phase Two, the quantitative stage, focused on implementing the MIEST in two different stages. A total of 100 participants completed the instrument. MIEST scores were found to be comparable for all four professions, which confirmed the multidisciplinary usability of the instrument. Participants tended to base decisions on the ethical principle of beneficence. The MIEST is effective to assess and describe the ethical sensitivity of professionals in the four specified therapeutic sciences. The constructed vignettes also make the MIEST appropriate for use in problem-based learning programs.
Highlights
Kushner [1] asserts that the perception of self rests on two basic, universal human needs: perceiving oneself as a good person and perceiving oneself as successful and important
The MIEST is a product of a qualitative exploration of ethical sensitivity as it relates to the therapeutic sciences
The systematic review allowed for a comparison between research-related ethics in audiology and ethics in physiotherapy, as a systematic review on ethics knowledge in physiotherapy was done with literature published between 1970 and 2000 [11]
Summary
Kushner [1] asserts that the perception of self rests on two basic, universal human needs: perceiving oneself as a good person and perceiving oneself as successful and important. Every human being possesses both good and bad tendencies and since society does not always celebrate virtuous behaviour, these two basic needs are often in conflict with each other. The attempt to satisfy the two needs can lead to inconsistency between how individuals want to act (intent) and their actual behaviour. This same conflict is seen in the therapeutic sciences. Individual professionals have to rely on their own ability to reflect critically and make immediate ethically responsible decisions.
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