Article Figures & Data
Additional Files
The Article in Brief
Why Medical Schools Are Tolerant of Unethical Behavior
Edison I. de Oliveira Vidal , and colleagues
Background Unethical and unprofessional behavior in medical schools and health organizations have been associated with medical errors, increased costs, and preventable harm to patients, students, residents, nurses and other physicians. In this essay, physicians in Sao Paulo, Brazil ask, 'Why is unethical behavior tolerated in medical schools?"
What This Study Found Reasons why medical schools are tolerant of unethical faculty behavior can include barriers to reporting, the reluctance of deans and directors to look for unethical behavior in colleagues, the fact that people have become accustomed to a disrespectful health care environment, and the fact that accreditation of medical schools does not usually cover the processes or outcomes associated with fostering ethical behavior. Promising efforts are underway at several health care institutions aimed at preventing, reducing and mitigating unethical/unprofessional behaviors in medical schools.
Implications
- The authors call for changes to the organization and underlying culture of health care institutions.
