Ethical issues in Australian hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the most common ethical issues of concern in Australian hospitals.

DESIGN

A descriptive study using data collected by means of a questionnaire.

PARTICIPANTS

Seven hundred and thirty-nine (74%) hospital administrators and employees nominated by hospital administrators in Australian public and private hospitals.

RESULTS

Over half the respondents reported that ethical concerns had been raised in relation to: making "not for resuscitation orders"; the treatment of patients with HIV and AIDS; interprofessional conflict; and the allocation of resources.

CONCLUSION

"End of life" concerns, patient autonomy issues, questions of resource distribution, and communication difficulties commonly raise ethical concerns in Australian hospitals.