Institutional bioethics: a necessary explanation for the healthcare team

Abstract

This article aims to bring bioethics closer to healthcare teams, making it understandable so that it can be incorporated into effective collective work in accordance with the ethical values of the institution. It offers a brief overview of bioethics, from its beginnings and its recognition by international organizations through the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2005), to its more local development in the Law on Patients’ Rights and Duties (Law 20.584). This law incorporates and promotes bioethics through committees within healthcare institutions to ensure the protection of patients’ rights and to foster ethical, high-quality healthcare.

The article highlights that in Chile and Latin America—countries with lower income levels—the precariousness of healthcare systems creates bioethical conflicts in the daily practice of professionals and healthcare teams. These challenges hinder the provision of adequate, humanized care in health institutions and point to the need for Social Bioethics, actively engaging in the reflection on public health issues and the alignment of public policies with the needs of society.