title: Different views on treatment decisions by first-year interprofessional healthcare students.
abstract: This study explored ethical treatment decisions of healthcare professional students beginning their education. As part of a first-semester modern medicine and bioethics course, 311 students watched and discussed, in interprofessional groups, a video titled Dax's Case: Who Should Decide? regarding the treatment of a life-threatening infectious disease against Dax's wish. The students then discussed and made their decision regarding treating or not. Their decisions, recorded on a worksheet, were classified as "will treat" or "won't treat." Professional groups' decision patterns were compared using the chi-square test. Overall, 151 (71%) opinions from students were classified as "will treat," and 61 (29%) as "won't treat." Nursing students were more likely to decide "won't treat" (in line with Dax's preference); however, the majority of other professions' students favoured treatment (against Dax's wish). Given the students' limited exposure to profession-specific education, our preliminary study supports the notion that healthcare profession students hold different values that align with their chosen profession at the start of their studies.
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Health Sciences , Kobe University , Kobe , Hyogo , Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.affiliation: b The Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: c Graduate School of Human Health Sciences , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bontje
authors.affiliation: d Graduate School of Medicine , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.affiliation: e Department of Pharmacology , Kobe University Hospital , Kobe , Hyogo , Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.affiliation: f Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Division , Kakogawa Central City Hospital , Kakogawa , Hyogo , Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000941:ethics*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Decision making; evaluation; healthcare students; interprofessional education; values