Practical Experiences in the Work of Institutional Ethics Committees in Croatia on the Example of the Ethics Committee at Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka (Croatia)

Abstract

Although there are written documents about physician's duties and physician's ethics in Croatia dating from the 19th century, practical activities in the field of medical ethics in Croatia started in late seventies of the 20th century. In this period hospital committees for drugs were formed and they dealt with the problem of metodology and ethics of clinical therapeutical experiments. The constant appearance of ethical problems at clinics and hospital centers required to be solved in bioethical bodies in Croatia, as well as in other countries. The first ethical committees in medical institutions in Croatia were founded on the basis of the Law of Health Care. This law was introduced by the Croatian Parliament in 1997. With the aim of better understanding ethics committee work, the article deals with a brief document review which regulated medical and ethical questions before the appearance of ethical committees. As their foundation was influenced by the appearance of bioethics in Croatia, one chapter presents the most important bioethical topics in Croatia. The central part of the work includes practical experiences in ethical committees work. The work of Ethical Committee at Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka was analyzed. Its work in the period from 1997 to 2000 was examined.