How should our public hospitals respond to increasing ethical challenges?
Bryson J School of Business and Public Management, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. AIM: To explore the considerations and influences on decision making of doctors and managers when faced with ethical dilemmas. METHOD: Two hundred and eighty-four doctors and managers responded to a mailed survey. The questionnaire probed the types of considerations that were salient in the ethical dilemmas faced by doctors and by managers, the support these groups received for reflection on these difficult decisions, the specific influences on their decision making and their perception of future ethical issues in the health sector. RESULTS: The study found that doctors and managers report encountering a similar frequency of ethical dilemmas in their work but apply significantly different considerations and influences in their decision making. They reported similar levels of support from their colleagues but differing levels of support from their managers and the Crown Health Enterprise o
