Faculty Collaboration Database

Predictors of Physician Recommendation for Ethically Controversial Medical Procedures: Findings from an Exploratory National Survey of American Muslim Physicians. J Relig Health 2016 Apr;55(2):403-21

Date

11/29/2015

Pubmed ID

26613589

DOI

10.1007/s10943-015-0154-y

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84961198171 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   13 Citations

Abstract

Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can thereby impact healthcare delivery. Using a national survey of American Muslim physicians, we explored the association between physician recommendation of three controversial medical procedures--tubal ligation, abortion, and porcine-based vaccine--and their (1) religiosity, (2) utilization of bioethics resources, and (3) perception of whether the procedure was a medical necessity and if the scenario represented a life threat. Generally, multivariate models found that physicians who read the Qur'an more often as well as those who perceived medical necessity and/or life threat had a higher odds recommending the procedures, whereas those who sought Islamic bioethical guidance from Islamic jurists (or juridical councils) more often had a lower odds. These associations suggest that the bioethical framework of Muslim physicians is influenced by their reading of scripture, and the opinions of Islamic jurists and that these influences may, paradoxically, be interpreted to be in opposition over some medical procedures.

Author List

Mahdi S, Ghannam O, Watson S, Padela AI

Author

Aasim Padela MD Vice Chair, Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bioethics
Female
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Islam
Male
Middle Aged
Physicians
Religion and Medicine
United States
Young Adult