Bioethics in Italian Medical and Healthcare Education. A Pilot Study.

Bioethics in Italian Medical and Healthcare Education. A Pilot Study.

Authors

  • Matteo Gulino Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  • Sara Patuzzo University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  • Ilaria Baldelli University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
  • Valentina Gazzaniga Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  • Domenico Franco Merlo Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Reggio Emilia - IRCCS, Italy
  • Lucia Maiorana Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
  • Giovanni Murialdo University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
  • Mario Picozzi University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  • Giuseppe Armocida University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  • Paolo Cattorini University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  • Elena Montaguti University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  • Stefano Bonometti University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  • Alessandra Agnese Grossi University of Insubria, Varese, Italy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2352-6756
  • Francesco De Stefano University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
  • Rosagemma Ciliberti University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Keywords:

Bioethics; Medical and Health Curricula; Teaching of Bioethics; Medical Education; Teaching.

Abstract

Background and aim of the work: Bioethics is relevant in healthcare and medical schools. However, unlike other foreign countries, its teaching in Italy has only been recently introduced, it is less extensively offered and no academic standards for bioethics education have been established. This research aims at understanding whether university bioethics courses attendees appreciate and consider teaching strategies to be effective with the objective of validating a coherent didactic approach to the discipline and stimulate further discussion on ways to improve it. Methods: A standardized survey was administered to 1590 students attending undergraduate degree programs in medicine and healthcare at four Italian universities. Results: The majority of interviewees (92.5%) had an interest in bioethics, considered it to be important for any life-sciences-related program (73.5%) and most healthcare (77.2%) and medical students (69.2%) suggested its teaching should be included in their curricula and made mandatory (66.3%) and continuous (57.7%), given its usefulness in clinical practice. Students consider bioethics as a care-integrated practice and appreciate teaching methods where it is integrated into clinical cases. Conceptual specificity and interdisciplinarity may affect the learning process and contribute to enhance students’ analytical skills. Conclusions: Italian bioethics education should be revised to meet students’ expectations and preferences. Its complex, multi-disciplinary and transversal nature suggests bioethical education to be flexible and integrated among different disciplines, thus stimulating a broader critical capacity through cases studies and other interactive teaching methods for helping students better deal with bioethics-inherent difficulties and improve the learning process.

Author Biographies

Matteo Gulino, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

Research Fellow of Bioethics, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies

Sara Patuzzo, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Adjunct Professor, School of Medicine and Surgery

Ilaria Baldelli, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC); Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy

Valentina Gazzaniga, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

Full Professor of History of Medicine, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies

Domenico Franco Merlo, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Reggio Emilia - IRCCS, Italy

Director of the Research and Statistics Infrastructure

Lucia Maiorana, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy

Administrative Assistant, Clinical Epidemiology Unit

Giovanni Murialdo, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Full Professor of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties

Mario Picozzi, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

Associate Professor of Legal Medicine, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, Center for Clinical Ethics

Giuseppe Armocida, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

Full Professor of History of Medicine, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, Center for Clinical Ethics

Paolo Cattorini, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

Full Professor of Bioethics, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, Center for Clinical Ethics

Elena Montaguti, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

PhD Researcher in Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, Center for Clinical Ethics

Stefano Bonometti, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

Associate Professor of Pedagogy, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences

Alessandra Agnese Grossi, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

PhD Researcher in Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities, Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences

Francesco De Stefano, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Full Professor of Legal Medicine, Section of Forensic Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Health Sciences

Rosagemma Ciliberti, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Associate Professor of Bioethics, Section of Forensic Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Health Sciences

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Published

15-01-2019

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Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

How to Cite

1.
Bioethics in Italian Medical and Healthcare Education. A Pilot Study. Acta Biomed [Internet]. 2019 Jan. 15 [cited 2024 Jul. 3];89(4):519-31. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/actabiomedica/article/view/7238