Revisiting the evolution of the Hippocratic Oath in obstetrics and gynecology.

Hippocrates, an influential figure in ancient Greek medicine, is best known for his lasting contribution, the Hippocratic Oath, which includes a significant message about obstetrics and gynecology. Given the Oath's status as a widely regarded ethical code for medical practice, it requires critical evaluation. The message of the Oath, as it related to obstetrics and gynecology, is expressed in ancient Greek by the phrase "οὐδὲ γυναικὶ πεσσὸν φθόριον δώσω" which translates directly to "I will not give to any woman a harming pessary." The words fetus and abortion were not present in the original Greek text of the Oath. Yet, this message of the Hippocratic Oath has been interpreted often as a prohibition against abortion. In this article, we present a critical linguistic and historical analysis and argue against the notion that the Hippocratic Oath was prohibiting abortion. We provide evidence that the words "foetum" (fetus) and "abortu" (abortion) were inserted in the Latin translations of the Oath, which then carried on in subsequent English versions. The addition of the words "fetus" and "abortion" in the Latin translations significantly altered the Oath's original meaning. Unfortunately, these alterations in the translation of the Hippocratic Oath have been accepted over the years because of cultural, religious, and social reasons. We assert that because the original Hippocratic Oath did not contain language related to abortion, it should not be construed as prohibiting it. The interpretation of the Oath should be based on precise and rigorous translation and speculative interpretations should be avoided.

"Tirando o jaleco": notas etnográficas sobre as práticas obstétricas em um hospital de ensino / "Taking off the lab coat": ethnographic notes on obstetric practices in a university hospital

Resumo O estudo teve como objetivo descrever e analisar aspectos do cotidiano da assistência ao parto em um hospital universitário no Sul do Brasil. A expressão "tirando o jaleco" serve como uma metáfora para iluminar o processo de conversão da enfermeira obstetra em pesquisadora em um ambiente hospitalar. Trata-se de uma de pesquisa qualitativa que lançou mão da perspectiva socioantropológica como referencial teórico e metodológico. Os resultados mostraram uma recorrente ausência de informações sobre condutas e decisões médicas dadas as mulheres, desconsiderando-as como sujeitos de direitos, a despeito do que preconiza a política de humanização do parto, revelando nuances do parto e do nascimento pautadas no modelo tecnocrático de assistência. Esse modelo de assistência vigente nos hospitais de ensino requer importantes mudanças através da incorporação de práticas com fundamentos científicos, da inclusão de enfermeiras obstetras e do respeito à mulher como protagonista deste evento.

Abstract The study aimed to describe and analyze everyday aspects of childbirth care in a university hospital in southern Brazil. The expression "taking off the coat" serves as a metaphor to illuminate the process of converting the obstetrician nurse into a researcher in a hospital environment. This is a qualitative research work that made use of the perspective socio-anthropology as a theoretical and methodological framework. The results showed a recurrent lack of information about medical conduct and decisions given to women, disregarding them as subjects of rights, despite what the policy of humanization of childbirth, revealing nuances of childbirth and birth based on the model assistance technocracy. This current care model in teaching hospitals requires important changes through the incorporation of practices with scientific foundations, the inclusion of obstetric nurses and respect for women as the protagonists of this event.

Health Equity Morbidity and Mortality Conferences in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Maternal mortality and morbidity continue to occur at unacceptably high levels in the United States, with communities of color experiencing significantly higher rates than their White counterparts, even after adjustment for confounding factors such as socioeconomic status. Many obstetrics and gynecology departments across the country have begun to incorporate routine discussion and analysis of health equity into peer review and educational processes, including grand rounds and morbidity and mortality conferences. Despite the desire and drive, there is little published guidance on best practices for incorporation of an equity component into these conferences. This document outlines the current processes at four academic institutions to highlight the variety of ways in which health equity and social justice can be incorporated when analyzing patient experiences and health outcomes. This commentary also provides a list of specific recommendations based on the combined experiences at these institutions so that others across the country can incorporate principles of health equity into their peer-review processes.

Use of Telemedicine and Smart Technology in Obstetrics: Barriers and Privacy Issues.

While telemedicine had been utilized in varying ways over the last several years, it has dramatically accelerated in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article we describe the privacy issues, in relation to the barriers to care for health care providers and barriers to the obstetric patient, licensing and payments for telehealth services, technological issues and language barriers. While there may be barriers to the use of telehealth services this type of care is feasible and the barriers are surmountable.

Informed Consent and Shared Decision Making in Obstetrics and Gynecology: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 819.

ABSTRACT: Meeting the ethical obligations of informed consent requires that an obstetrician-gynecologist gives the patient adequate, accurate, and understandable information and requires that the patient has the ability to understand and reason through this information and is free to ask questions and to make an intentional and voluntary choice, which may include refusal of care or treatment. Shared decision making is a patient-centered, individualized approach to the informed consent process that involves discussion of the benefits and risks of available treatment options in the context of a patient's values and priorities. Some informed consent challenges are universal to medicine, whereas other challenges arise more commonly in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology than in other specialty areas. This Committee Opinion focuses on informed consent for adult patients in clinical practice and provides new guidance on the practical application of informed consent through shared decision making. The principles outlined in this Committee Opinion will help support the obstetrician-gynecologist in the patient-centered informed consent process.

Ética em ginecologia e obstetrícia - 2021 / Ethics in gynecology and obstetrics - 2021

Durante a pandemia de covid-19, o Conselho Regional de Medicina do Estado de Goiás (Cremego) encontrou na tecnologia um aliado para manter a atualização de conhecimentos dos médicos que atuam na região. Ao longo do período, a autarquia organizou uma série de lives para discutir diferentes temas de interesse para os profissionais que, independentemente da emergência sanitária, se desdobravam nos cuidados com a população. É dessa iniciativa que nasceu o livro Ética em Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. Trata-se da continuidade dessa grande aposta do Cremego na valorização da educação médica continuada e do estímulo ao debate e à troca de experiências. Assim, ao transformar as discussões promovidas em artigos, o Conselho permite que médicos de outros estados possam acessar o conteúdo gerado, ampliando seu alcance. O leque de assuntos é dos mais relevantes. As discussões abordam temáticas que encerram polêmicas e suscitam dúvidas, como ética na reprodução assistida e em medicina fetal; atendimento à adolescente; assistência ao parto; direitos da gestante; e impactos da covid-19 na gravidez. Quem saborear essa publicação se deparará com um trabalho que vai além da discussão teórica sobre cada um dos temas. Na verdade, isso se deve aos autores que tiverem a felicidade de trazer para seus textos suas experiências e visões privilegiadas de quem conhece a linha de cuidados que deve ser oferecida à mulher.

Legalidade e ética entre obstetras do serviço de aborto legal em Alagoas no atendimento às vítimas de estupro / Legality and ethics among obstetricians of the legal abortion service in Alagoas during the care for rape victims

Objetivo: Determinar o perfil ético profissional dos obstetras do serviço de aborto legal no estado de Alagoas (Brasil) e delinear um protocolo e fluxograma para auxiliar no atendimento de mulheres estupradas. Métodos: Realizamos um estudo observacional-transversal, prospectivo e descritivo, incluindo todos os 26 obstetras do serviço de aborto legal. Na fase 1, investigaram-se o conhecimento legal e a posição ética, enquanto na fase 2 foram construídos um protocolo e um fluxograma para guiar o serviço nos casos de aborto legal. Resultados: Na fase 1, identificamos que a maioria dos obstetras não conhecia os aspectos legais sobre o aborto, não se sentiam confortáveis em estar no serviço e apontaram várias limitações no funcionamento dele. Na fase 2, foram desenvolvidos um protocolo e um fluxograma aplicados aos casos em que uma mulher estuprada deseja abortar por métodos legais. Conclusão: O perfil dos obstetras do serviço de aborto legal é insuficiente para lidar com a complexidade do aborto no estado. O protocolo e o fluxograma delineados tiveram o propósito de ajudar o serviço de aborto legal do estado a lidar com esse problema público/social.(AU)

Objective: To determine the professional ethical profile of obstetricians from the legal abortion service in Alagoas state (Brazil) and to design a protocol and flowchart to help the attendance of raped woman. Methods: We performed an observational- -sectional, prospective and descriptive study including all 26 obstetricians from the legal abortion service. Phase 1 investigated the legal knowledge and ethical position, while phase 2 was the construction of a protocol and flowchart to guide the service in cases of legal abortion. Results: In the phase 1 we identified that most obstetrician did not know the legal aspects about abortion; did not few comfortable to be in the service and they pointed out several limitations of how service works. Phase 2 of the study was the development of a protocol and flowchart applied to the cases which a raped woman wants to abort by legal methods. Conclusion: The profile of obstetrician from the legal abortion service is insufficient to deal with the complexity of abort in the state. The protocol designed have the purpose to help the state legal abortion service to deal with this public/social problem.(AU)

Integration of Catholic Values and Professional Obligations in the Provision of Family Planning Services: A Qualitative Study.

Importance: Religious leaders of the Catholic church created guidelines for practicing medicine, that involve reproductive care restrictions that may conflict with professional obligations. Objective: To explore how Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists integrate their religious values and professional obligations related to family planning services. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this qualitative investigation, in 2018, US-based obstetrician-gynecologists were recruited through an online survey and were invited to participate in audio-recorded telephone interviews using a semistructured interview guide. Participants were obstetrician-gynecologists who self-identified as Catholic and reported providing reproductive health care as follows: (1) provide natural family planning only (low practitioners), (2) provide additional contraceptive methods (moderate practitioners), and (3) provide family planning services including abortion (high practitioners). The study purposively sampled those with higher self-reported religiosity. Data were analyzed from November 2018 to February 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was understanding how participants describe integration of Catholic values with family planning service provision. The telephone interviews explored their integration of Catholic values and professional obligations, and 3 coders analyzed the responses using grounded theory. Results: Among the 34 Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists interviewed (27 women [79.4%]), there were 10 low, 15 moderate, and 9 high practitioners from 19 states. Participants' description of morality was consistent with Albert Bandura's Social-Cognitive Theory of Moral Thought and Action. The findings were used to create a modified framework. Within each group of physicians, 3 themes demonstrating their reconciliations between Catholic values and professional obligations emerged; each of these themes reflected one of the medical ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, or justice. All 10 low practitioners primarily promoted natural family planning approaches to avoid iatrogenic risks and none provided abortion, reflecting nonmaleficence. Alternatively, moderate practitioners focused on nonmaleficence by offering contraception to prevent abortions. High practitioners primarily promoted patient autonomy by separating religious doctrine from medical practice. All had concerns for beneficence. In each group, 1 of the 4 medical ethical principles was underrepresented. Conclusions and Relevance: In this qualitative analysis, Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists establish their family planning care provision practices by emphasizing certain moral and/or ethical principles over others. These findings highlight how physician morality in the realm of family planning service provision often involves certain religious and/or professional reconciliations. Understanding the dilemmas Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists face can guide professional development efforts and inform ongoing discussions about conscientious objection and provision.

Professionally responsible advocacy for women and children first during the COVID-19 pandemic: guidance from World Association of Perinatal Medicine and International Academy of Perinatal Medicine.

The goal of perinatal medicine is to provide professionally responsible clinical management of the conditions and diagnoses of pregnant, fetal, and neonatal patients. The New York Declaration of the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine, "Women and children First - or Last?" was directed toward the ethical challenges of perinatal medicine in middle-income and low-income countries. The global COVID-19 pandemic presents common ethical challenges in all countries, independent of their national wealth. In this paper the World Association of Perinatal Medicine provides ethics-based guidance for professionally responsible advocacy for women and children first during the COVID-19 pandemic. We first present an ethical framework that explains ethical reasoning, clinically relevant ethical principles and professional virtues, and decision making with pregnant patients and parents. We then apply this ethical framework to evidence-based treatment and its improvement, planned home birth, ring-fencing obstetric services, attendance of spouse or partner at birth, and the responsible management of organizational resources. Perinatal physicians should focus on the mission of perinatal medicine to put women and children first and frame-shifting when necessary to put the lives and health of the population of patients served by a hospital first.

Expanding the concept of the professional integrity of obstetrics during a public health emergency.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed great demands on many hospitals to maximize their capacity to care for affected patients. The requirement to reassign space has created challenges for obstetric services. We describe the nature of that challenge for an obstetric service in New York City. This experience raised an ethical challenge: whether it would be consistent with professional integrity to respond to a public health emergency with a plan for obstetric services that would create an increased risk of rare maternal mortality. We answered this question using the conceptual tools of professional ethics in obstetrics, especially the professional virtue of integrity. A public health emergency requires frameshifting from an individual-patient perspective to a population-based perspective. We show that an individual-patient-based, beneficence-based deliberative clinical judgment is not an adequate basis for organizational policy in response to a public health emergency. Instead, physicians, especially those in leadership positions, must frameshift to population-based clinical ethical judgment that focuses on reduction of mortality as much as possible in the entire population of patients served by a healthcare organization.

Empatía y Componentes de la Empatía en Estudiantes de Obstetricia / Empathy and Components of Empathy in Obstetrics Students

Introduction: Empathy with the patient is an important attribute that contributes to the success of treatment. This attribute must be object of teaching in the training stage of the student of the health sciences. Objective: To evaluate the levels of empathy and its components in students of the Obstetrics course at the University of Norbert Wiener, Peru. Material and Methods: Design: cross-sectional study. Participants: The sample was composed of 219 first-year to fifth-year students. Measurements: The Jefferson Empathy Scale, S version for students was applied. The internal reliability of the data was estimated using the general Cronbach's alpha, interclass correlation coefficient, Hotelling's T2, and Tukey non-additive test; the mean and standard deviation were estimated. A bi-factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA), model III was applied in the academic years, the genders and the interaction of these two factors. Results: The empathic level of obstetrics students has an average of 105,95 points, out of a maximum of 140, and it is higher (in absolute values) than other values observed in analogous measurements in Latin America. In general, there are no significant differences in empathy between academic years and genders, and in the components of empathy. Conclusions: The average level of empathy among obstetrics students at Wiener University shows relative little growth per year of study(AU)

Introducción: La empatía con el paciente es un importante atributo que contribuye al éxito del tratamiento. Este atributo debe ser objeto de enseñanza en la etapa de formación del estudiante de ciencias de la salud. Objetivo: Evaluar los niveles de empatía y de sus componentes en estudiantes del curso de Obstetricia de la Universidad Norbert Wiener, Perú. Material y métodos: Diseño: estudio transversal; Participantes: la muestra fue de 219 estudiantes que estaban en el primer a quinto año de su carrera; Medidas: se aplicó la escala de empatía de Jefferson, versión S para estudiantes. La confiabilidad interna de los datos se estimó utilizando el alfa general de Cronbach, el coeficiente de correlación interclase, el T2 de Hotelling y la prueba no aditiva de Tukey, estimando las medias y la desviación estándar. Se aplicó un análisis bifactorial de varianza (ANOVA), modelo III entre los años académicos, entre los géneros y en la interacción de estos dos factores. Resultado: El nivel empático de los estudiantes de obstetricia examinados tiene un promedio de 105,95 puntos de un máximo de 140 y es mayor (en valores absolutos) a otros valores observados en mediciones análogas en América Latina. En general, no hay diferencias significativas entre los años académicos y entre los géneros en la empatía y en los componentes de la empatía. Conclusiones: El nivel promedio de empatía entre los estudiantes de obstetricia en la Universidad de Wiener muestra un crecimiento relativamente pequeño por año de estudio(AU)

Sexual Misconduct: ACOG Committee Opinion Summary, Number 796.

The practice of obstetrics and gynecology includes interaction in times of intense emotion and vulnerability for patients and involves sensitive physical examinations and medically necessary disclosure of private information about symptoms and experiences. The patient-physician relationship is damaged when there is either confusion regarding professional roles and behavior or clear lack of integrity that allows sexual exploitation and harm. Sexual misconduct by physicians is an abuse of professional power and a violation of patient trust. Although sexual misconduct is uncommon in clinical care, even one episode is unacceptable. Routine use of chaperones, in addition to the other best practices outlined in this Committee Opinion, will help assure patients and the public that obstetrician-gynecologists are maximizing efforts to create a safe environment for all patients.

Sexual Misconduct: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 796.

The practice of obstetrics and gynecology includes interaction in times of intense emotion and vulnerability for patients and involves sensitive physical examinations and medically necessary disclosure of private information about symptoms and experiences. The patient-physician relationship is damaged when there is either confusion regarding professional roles and behavior or clear lack of integrity that allows sexual exploitation and harm. Sexual misconduct by physicians is an abuse of professional power and a violation of patient trust. Although sexual misconduct is uncommon in clinical care, even one episode is unacceptable. Routine use of chaperones, in addition to the other best practices outlined in this Committee Opinion, will help assure patients and the public that obstetrician-gynecologists are maximizing efforts to create a safe environment for all patients.

Ectogestation ethics: The implications of artificially extending gestation for viability, newborn resuscitation and abortion.

Recent animal research suggests that it may soon be possible to support the human fetus in an artificial uterine environment for part of a pregnancy. A technique of extending gestation in this way ("ectogestation") could be offered to parents of extremely premature infants (EPIs) to improve outcomes for their child. The use of artificial uteruses for ectogestation could generate ethical questions because of the technology's potential impact on the point of "viability"-loosely defined as the stage of pregnancy beyond which the fetus may survive external to the womb. Several medical decisions during the perinatal period are based on the gestation at which infants are considered viable, for example decisions about newborn resuscitation and abortion, and ectogestation has the potential to impact on these. Despite these possible implications, there is little existing evidence or analysis of how this technology would affect medical practice. In this paper, we combine empirical data with ethical analysis. We report a survey of 91 practicing Australian obstetricians and neonatologists; we aimed to assess their conceptual understanding of "viability," and what ethical consequences they envisage arising from improved survival of EPIs. We also assess what the ethical implications of extending gestation should be for newborn and obstetric care. We analyze the concept of viability and argue that while ectogestation might have implications for the permissibility of neonatal life-prolonging treatment at extremely early gestation, it should not necessarily have implications for abortion policy. We compare our ethical findings with the results of the survey.

Feasibility of an ethics and professionalism curriculum for faculty in obstetrics and gynecology: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: There have been increased efforts to implement medical ethics curricula at the student and resident levels; however, practising physicians are often left unconsidered. Therefore, we sought to pilot an ethics and professionalism curriculum for faculty in obstetrics and gynaecology to remedy gaps in the formal, informal and hidden curriculum in medical education. METHODS: An ethics curriculum was developed for faculty within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a tertiary care, academic hospital. During the one-time, 4-hour, mandatory in-person session, the participants voluntarily completed the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Handoff Clinical Evaluation Exercise, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and overall course evaluation. Patient satisfaction survey scores in both the hospital and ambulatory settings were compared before and after the curriculum. RESULTS: Twenty-eight faculty members attended the curriculum. Overall, respondents reported less burnout and performed at the same level or better in terms of patient handoff than the original studies validating the instruments. Faculty rated the professionalism behaviours as well as teaching of professionalism much lower at our institution than the validation study. There was no change in patient satisfaction after the curriculum. However, overall, the course was well received as meeting its objectives, being beneficial and providing new tools to assess professionalism. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that an ethics curriculum can be developed for practising physicians that is mindful of pragmatic concerns while still meeting its objectives. Further study is needed regarding long term and objective improvements in ethics knowledge, impact on the education of trainees and improvement in the care of patients as a result of a formal curriculum for faculty.

Ethical challenges in invasive maternal-fetal intervention.

The field of maternal-fetal intervention is rapidly progressing and with it comes new and often complex ethical considerations that must be addressed. The purpose of this article is to review the ethical issues that arise in maternal-fetal intervention. We will provide two clinical scenarios and discuss the ethical issues related to each scenario and how they were addressed. We will also provide a list of recommended resources that any institutional offering maternal-fetal intervention should have in place to meet the ethical obligations of such work.