RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Duty to provide care to Ebola patients: the perspectives of Guinean lay people and healthcare providers
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 599
OP 605
DO 10.1136/medethics-2017-104479
VO 44
IS 9
A1 Lonzozou Kpanake
A1 Tamba Kallas Tonguino
A1 Paul Clay Sorum
A1 Etienne Mullet
YR 2018
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/44/9/599.abstract
AB Aim To examine the views of Guinean lay people and healthcare providers (HCPs) regarding the acceptability of HCPs’ refusal to provide care to Ebola patients.Method From October to December 2015, lay people (n=252) and HCPs (n=220) in Conakry, Guinea, were presented with 54 sample case scenarios depicting a HCP who refuses to provide care to Ebola patients and were instructed to rate the extent to which this HCP’s decision is morally acceptable. The scenarios were composed by systematically varying the levels of four factors: (1) the risk of getting infected, (2) the HCP’s working conditions, (3) the HCP’s family responsibilities and (4) the HCP’s professional status.Results Five clusters were identified: (1) 18% of the participants expressed the view that HCPs have an unlimited obligation to provide care to Ebola patients; (2) 38% held that HCPs’ duty to care is a function of HCPs’ working conditions; (3) 9% based their judgments on a combination of risk level, family responsibilities and working conditions; (4) 23% considered that HCPs do not have an obligation to provide care and (5) 12% did not take a position.Conclusion Only a small minority of Guinean lay people and HCPs consider that HCPs’ refusal to provide care to Ebola patients is always unacceptable. The most commonly endorsed position is that HCPs’ duty to provide care to Ebola patients is linked to society’s reciprocal duty to provide them with the working conditions needed to fulfil their professional duty.