[Institutional ethics committees in Mexico: the ambiguous boundary between health care ethics and research ethics].
OBJECTIVE
To identify ethics committees in medical practice in Mexico and possible implications stemming from their composition and functions.


METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from January-December 2005. A survey was sent by e-mail to the hospitals and family medicine centers with at 10 practices within the Mexican Institute for Social Security (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) (n=437) and the Institute for Security and Social Services for State Employees (Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado) (n=167) and to the Mexican Ministry of Health's most important health care centers (n=15). The following items were analyzed: name of the committee, date of formation, current status, composition, functions, and level of authority.


RESULTS
In all, 116 committees were identified, with various names. Of these, 101 (87.1%) were active. The committees were formed from 1985-2006, with a spike occurring in 2004-2005. Of the active committees, 59 (58.4%) were charged with ethical problems/dilemmas related to clinical practice as well as those related to research projects. Of the committee members, 357 (59.0%) held managing positions in the establishment to which the committee pertained; most were medical professionals (71.5%), followed by nursing staff (11.9%). Among the members of the active committees, 77.9% had not received training in ethics.


CONCLUSIONS
Legal conflicts can be expected, mainly within the organizations whose committees have the authority to determine a course of action. An integrated plan is needed that will set standards for the composition and proceedings of Mexico's ethics committees and the improved training of committee members.
Valdez-Martínez
Edith
E
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México, DF Mexico. edith.valdez@imss.gob.mx
Lifshitz-Guinzberg
Alberto
A
Medesigo-Micete
José
J
Bedolla
Miguel
M
D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000941:ethics*; D028741:Ethics Committees, Clinical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards*; D008800:Mexico