Threats to bioethical principles in medical practice in Brazil: new medical ethics code period

We aimed to outline the profile of medical professionals in Brazil who have violated the deontological norms set forth in the ethics code of the profession, and whose cases were judged by the higher tribunal for medical ethics between 2010 and 2016. This survey was conducted using a database formed from professional ethics cases extracted from the plenary of the medical ethics tribunal of the Federal Council of Medicine. These were disciplinary ethics cases that were judged at appeal level between 2010 and 2016. Most of these professionals were male (88.5%) and their mean age was 59.9 years (SD=11.62) on the date of judgment of their appeals, ranging from 28 to 95 years. Most of them were based in the southeastern region of Brazil (50.89%). Articles 1 and 18 of the medical ethics code were the rules most frequently violated. The sentence given most often was the cancellation of their professional license (37.6%) and the acts most often sentenced involved malpractice, imprudence, and negligence (18.49%). It is acknowledged that concern for the principles of bioethics was present in the appeal decisions made by the plenary of the medical ethics tribunal of the Federal Council of Medicine.

本研究旨在梳理2010年至2016年间，巴西违反行业伦理守则规定的义务性规范、且案件由巴西联邦医学委员会医学伦理高级法庭审理的医疗从业者的特征概况。本调研基于巴西联邦医学委员会（Federal Council of Medicine）医学伦理法庭全体会议提取的行业伦理案件构建的数据库开展。上述案件均为2010年至2016年间的上诉审纪律伦理案件。涉事从业者中男性占比达88.5%；在上诉案件审理当日，其平均年龄为59.9岁（标准差SD=11.62），年龄跨度为28岁至95岁。其中50.89%的从业者就职于巴西东南部地区。违反频率最高的医学伦理守则条款为第1条与第18条。最常见的处罚措施为吊销执业执照（占比37.6%）；最常被追责的行为为医疗渎职、疏忽大意与过失（占比18.49%）。可以确认，巴西联邦医学委员会医学伦理法庭全体会议作出的上诉判决中，均体现了对生物伦理原则的考量。