Código de Conduta da Sociedade Brasileira de Nefrologia: uma análise bioética

Fábio Humberto Ribeiro Paes Ferraz,Cibele Isaac Saad Rodrigues

doi:10.1590/2175-8239-jbn-2021-0061

Abstract

Introduction:Professional deontology can be defined as a set of principles, values and rules of conduct to be applied in the exercise of functions and inherent to a given profession. Nephrology was one of the medical specialties most affected by the mismatch between the accelerated technological development and the ethical dilemmas resulting from it. Recently, the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (SBN) edited its code of conduct, which until then did not exist.Method:Qualitative study with content analysis of the chapters and articles of the SBN Code of Conduct, from the perspective of principlism bioethics.Results:The four moral principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice were found asymmetrically throughout the document, with beneficence predominating over the others.Discussion:The SBN Code of Conduct predominantly expresses the ethical duties that an associate must comply with, but also restrictions on malfeasance, autonomy and justice, anchoring decision-making by managers and including the distribution of possible punishments. It is an unfinished document; therefore, it must be periodically revised, as expected, due to the rapid technological changes, as well as the need for constructive moderation in the relations of nephrologists with each other and, between them, with the Industry, as well as all the ethical consequences arising from these factors.

Highlights

Professional deontology can be defined as a set of principles, values and rules of conduct to be applied in the exercise of functions and inherent to a given profession
Nephrology was one of the medical specialties most affected by ethical dilemmas resulting from the accelerated scientific-technological development in the post-war period, with nephrologists often exposed to difficult ethical decisions, especially in a context of scarcity of resources[5,6]
In the systematized and categorized content analysis of the Sociedade Brasileira de Nefrologia (SBN) Code of Conduct, we found the presence of all principlism bioethics principles distributed asymmetrically in the different chapters; with a predominance of the principle of beneficence over the others

Summary

Introduction

Professional deontology can be defined as a set of principles, values and rules of conduct to be applied in the exercise of functions and inherent to a given profession. Discussion: The SBN Code of Conduct predominantly expresses the ethical duties that an associate must comply with, and restrictions on malfeasance, autonomy and justice, anchoring decisionmaking by managers and including the distribution of possible punishments It is an unfinished document; it must be periodically revised, as expected, due to the rapid technological changes, as well as the need for constructive moderation in the relations of nephrologists with each other and, between them, with the Industry, as well as all the ethical consequences arising from these factors. The emergence of Bioethics led to questions about Cartesian rationalism and the scientific neutrality of physicians and researchers, creating the need for ethical principles that would guide the biomedical activity and the conduct of clinical research[2,3] In this context, principlism theory had a strong influence in the field of bioethics, defending the existence of four universal ethical principles for conflict resolution: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice[4].

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