[Bioethics in Chile. Current situation and perspectives]

Abstract

Some of the current issues in the field of biomedical ethics are reviewed. Taking a brief description of the structure of the Chilean medical system as a frame of reference, the article addresses questions of professional ethics that affect relationships among physicians, between physicians and the public, and between physicians and the State. Observations are offered on some of the ethical aspects of medical care, in particular the teaching of bioethics, the establishment of committees on ethics in health care and research institutions, and the future outlook for bioethics in the country. In Chile, as in other Latin American countries, the teaching of this new discipline is not widespread, but there is growing interest in its inclusion in the curricula.