Soviet medical ethics (1917-1991).

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• History of Medicine
• Social Medicine

Background:

• The development of medical ethics in Russia was significantly influenced by the communist regime.
• The Health Care Commissariat, established in 1918, shaped the ethical framework for Soviet physicians.

Observation:

• The term "medical ethics" was avoided until the late 1930s, replaced by "medical (or surgical) deontology."
• This deontological period, initiated by N. Petrov's work, persisted for nearly fifty years.
• Post-communist Russia saw a shift from "medical deontology" to "bioethics."

Findings:

• The "Oath of a Soviet Physician," approved in 1971, was mandatory for all medical graduates.
• This oath emphasized the physician's role as a builder of communist society.
• Key principles of zemstvo medicine, such as universal healthcare access and the rejection of private practice, were implemented.

Implications:

• The communist regime's influence on medical ethics created a unique historical trajectory.
• The mandatory oath institutionalized specific ethical and moral standards within Soviet medicine.
• The legacy of this period continues to inform discussions on medical ethics and healthcare systems in post-Soviet Russia.