# Perceptions of COVID-19 patients in the use of bioethical principles and the physician-patient relationship: a qualitative approach

## TL;DR

This study explores how COVID-19 patients perceive bioethical principles and their relationship with healthcare providers during hospitalization.

## Contribution

The study introduces a qualitative analysis of patients' perceptions of bioethics and physician-patient dynamics during the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Most patients felt well cared for with no discrimination or injustice.
- Patients reported that their autonomy was respected in treatment decisions.
- The ethics of virtue is suggested as a framework to better understand patient care.

## Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the approach to the health-disease system, raising the question about the principles of bioethics present in physician–patient relations. The principles while widely accepted may not be sufficient for a comprehensive ethical analysis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the perception of these principles and the physician–patient relationship during a hospital stay through a qualitative approach.

Sixteen semi-structured interviews took place to know the patients’ perception during their 2020 hospitalization for COVID-19. The data was analyzed through the constant comparison method, creating categories and comparing them. In the end, seven categories were established and were grouped in three: bioethical principles (dignity, charity, vulnerability, autonomy), doctor-patient relationship (participant commitment, informed consent, health staff-patient relationship) and the experience of the disease (illness, the role of the family).

The research found that most patients described a positive experience, with the feeling of having been well cared for with no sense of discrimination or injustice done. The majority also reported that their autonomy was respected in the treatment decisions. The evaluation of these attitudes is an area of opportunity, especially when the patients' vulnerability is at risk.

The ethics of virtue offers a better reflection of how human beings manifest themselves by emphasizing the development of virtuous character and behaviors that allow them to realize their values in life. Authorized by the Research Ethics Committee with registration: DI/18/105-B/3/308.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12910-024-01009-z.