Evaluating physicians' knowledge, attitude and practice of their ethical responsibilities towards the environmental problem and air pollution

Abstract

Introduction: Today, 25% of diseases in the world are directly or indirectly
caused by environmental problems. The present study attempts to clarify
physicians’ moral responsibility in this regard and the roles they can play
to decrease environmental problems. It also evaluates their attitudes towards
and performance of these roles. The clarification of this issue paves the way
for interventions through effective education or policy-making, as well as
directing useful research.
Materials and methods: A questionnaire was developed based on the results
of qualitive study. The questionnaire assessed physicians’ awareness, attitude,
and performance with regard to their environmental moral responsibilities.
Results: Physicians with longer work experience had better performance.
Those who worked in offices or at universities had also better performances
compared to those working in hospitals. Physicians with more awareness
had better performance, especially those who had acquired this awareness
through books and educational workshops.
The source of information was an effective factor on the gap between
physicians’ attitude and performance scores those who had acquired
information from books had the narrowest gap and those who had received
information from social networks had the widest gap between attitude and
performance scores.
Conclusion: The health system and the environment and its problems are
intertwined and greatly influence each other. Thus this interrelation and the
necessity of being concerned and having moral sensitivity were explained.