[From clinical to social bioethics in Chile]

The scope of clinical bioethics must be broadened to a social bioethics that tackles institutional and public health ethical problems and those related to the health system reform. The superficial application of the four bioethical principles is not enough to face these problems and assure a complete respect of individual rights. Using a qualitative research in bioethics, we will be able to deal with those problems that rise from health care in Chile and propose solutions to avoid inequities, to promote a humane care of patients, develop an institutional ethics and provide an efficient protection to people 's rights. We propose to incorporate these social issues to the academic bioethical discussion and to develop a bioethics with complementary principles that can be used to solve cases and in decision making. We should use the means incorporated in our legislation such as Assistance Ethics Committees, Research Ethics Committees and the National Bioethics Commission, to pursue our objectives).