Awareness of Medical Ethics Among Undergraduates of Physical Therapy

Abstract

Background: Ethical awareness is fundamental to the practice of healthcare professionals, including physical therapists. With the evolving landscape of healthcare, an understanding of medical ethics becomes crucial for ensuring quality patient care and adherence to professional conduct. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and attitudes towards medical ethics among undergraduate students in Doctor of Physical Therapy programs in Lahore, assessing both gender differences and the impact of educational exposure on ethical understanding. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 undergraduate physical therapy students from both private and government universities over a six-month period following research synopsis approval. The sample size was calculated based on confidence level, predicted proportion, and desired accuracy. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze data, focusing on frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Results: The study revealed that 34.5% of participants considered ethical issues to be very important, and 19.5% regarded them as extremely important. Lecture classes were the primary source of ethical knowledge for 47.0% of the students, while 23.5% relied on ethical books, and smaller percentages used seminars, workshops, and clinical training. There was a slight, non-significant difference in ethical awareness scores between male (52.5%) and female (47.5%) students. The duration of study was positively correlated with an increase in ethical awareness levels. Conclusion: The findings suggest that while there is a high regard for the importance of medical ethics among physical therapy students, there are variations in the sources of their ethical knowledge and the depth of their understanding. Enhancing ethics education through diversified methods and increased practical applications may further improve ethical awareness and application in clinical settings.