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. 2022 Feb 26;22(1):131.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-03051-6.

Virtue and care ethics & humanism in medical education: a scoping review

David J Doukas  1 , David T Ozar  2 , Martina Darragh  3 , Janet M de Groot  4 , Brian S Carter  5 , Nathan Stout  6
Affiliations

Virtue and care ethics & humanism in medical education: a scoping review

David J Doukas et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Purpose: This scoping review explores how virtue and care ethics are incorporated into health professions education and how these factors may relate to the development of humanistic patient care.

Method: Our team identified citations in the literature emphasizing virtue ethics and care ethics (in PubMed, NLM Catalog, WorldCat, EthicsShare, EthxWeb, Globethics.net , Philosopher's Index, and ProQuest Central) lending themselves to constructs of humanism curricula. Our exclusion criteria consisted of non-English articles, those not addressing virtue and care ethics and humanism in medical pedagogy, and those not addressing aspects of character in health ethics. We examined in a stepwise fashion whether citations: 1) Contained definitions of virtue and care ethics; 2) Implemented virtue and care ethics in health care curricula; and 3) Evidenced patient-directed caregiver humanism.

Results: Eight hundred eleven citations were identified, 88 intensively reviewed, and the final 25 analyzed in-depth. We identified multiple key themes with relevant metaphors associated with virtue/care ethics, curricula, and humanism education.

Conclusions: This research sought to better understand how virtue and care ethics can potentially promote humanism and identified themes that facilitate and impede this mission.

Keywords: Care ethics; Humanism; Medical education; Medical ethics; Virtue ethics.

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Conflict of interest statement

David John Doukas, MD,

None.

David T. Ozar, PhD.

None.

Martina Darragh, MLS.

None.

Janet de Groot, MD, MMedSc.

Professional Grants,

Understanding Educational Experiences across CSM: Informing Critical Indigenous Health Education Identified Education Need. Roach P (PI), co-I de Groot JM. Office of Health Medical Education Scholarship Research and Innovation grants, 2020–2021.

Preventing depression and enhancing preparation for end of life among individuals with advanced cancer. Co-principal investigator. Alberta Cancer Foundation, 2020–2021.

Confronting the reality of racism that Indigenous Canadians experience in healthcare: A video and simulation project to spur decolonization in medical education. University of Calgary Ii’tah’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy Grant. de Groot JM (PI), 2019–2020.

Brian S. Carter, MD.

None.

Nathan Stout, PhD.

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Search Algorithm
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

Virtue/Care/Humanism Resultant Publications (Bolded citations contain all three factors sought: Definition, Curriculum Implementation, and Humanism Evidenced)

    1. Arnold BL, Lloyd LS, von Gunten CF. Physicians' reflections on death and dying on completion of a palliative medicine fellowship. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2016;51(3):633–639. - PubMed
    1. Bolsin S, Faunce T, Oakley J. Practical virtue ethics: healthcare whistleblowing and portable digital technology. J Med Ethics. 2005;31(10):612. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Branch WT, Jr, Frankel R, Gracey CF, Haidet PM, Weissmann PF, Cantey P, Mitchell GA, Inui TS. A good clinician and a caring person: longitudinal faculty development and the enhancement of the human dimensions of care. Acad Med. 2009;84(1):117–125. - PubMed
    1. Cook T, Mavroudis CD, Jacobs JP. Respect for patient autonomy as a medical virtue. Cardiol Young. 2015;25(8):1615–1620. - PubMed
    1. Kesselheim JC, Atlas M, Adams D, Aygun B, Barfield R, Eisenman K, Fulbright J, Garvey K, Kersun L, Nageswara Rao A, Reilly A, Sharma M, Shereck E, Wang M, Watt T, Leavey P. Humanism and professionalism education for pediatric hematology-oncology fellows: a model for pediatric subspecialty training. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015;62(2):335–340. - PubMed

The following publications contain two of the three factors sought

    1. Austin W. The terminal: a tale of virtue. Nurs Ethics. 2007;14(1):54–61. - PubMed
    1. Barilan YM. Responsibility as a meta-virtue: truth-telling, deliberation, and wisdom in medical professionalism. J Med Ethics. 2009;35(3):153–158. - PubMed
    1. Benner P. A dialogue between virtue Ethics and care Ethics. Theor Med. 1997;18:47–61. - PubMed
    1. Brody H, Doukas D. Professionalism: a framework to guide medical education. Med Educ. 2014;48(10):980–987. - PubMed
    1. Coulehan J. Written role models in professionalism education. Med Humanit. 2007;33(2):106–109. - PubMed

Reference list

    1. Atkins S, Lewin S, Smith H, Engel M, Fretheim A, Volmink J. Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: lessons learnt. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2008;8:21. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. Principles of biomedical Ethics. 8. New York: Oxford University Press; 2019.
    1. Britten N, Campbell R, Pope C, Donovan J, Morgan M, Pill R. Using meta ethnography to synthesize qualitative research: a worked example. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2002;7(4):209–215. - PubMed
    1. Carrese JA, Malek J, Watson K, Lehmann LS, Green MJ, McCullough LB, Geller G, Braddock CH, Doukas DJ. The Romanell report: the essential role of medical Ethics education in achieving professionalism. Acad Med. 2015;90(6):744–752. - PubMed
    1. Churchill LR. Damaged humanity: the call for a patient-centered medical ethic in the managed care era. Theor Med. 1997;18(1–2):113–126. - PubMed

Publication types

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