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Bioethics in the medical subspecialty literature
1Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, USA.
Annali Italiani Di Medicina Interna : Organo Ufficiale Della Societa Italiana Di Medicina Interna
|October 17, 1998
Summary
Medical subspecialty literature has a significantly lower bioethics content than general medical literature. However, it is comparable to surgical literature, with no significant differences between invasive and non-invasive specialties.
Area of Science:
- Medical ethics
- Bibliometrics
- Scientific publishing
Background:
- Previous research indicated a lower proportion of bioethics content in surgical literature compared to general medical literature.
- The quantitative analysis of bioethics in medical subspecialties was previously unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the bioethics content of medical subspecialty literature with surgical and general medical literature.
- To investigate differences in bioethics content between invasive and non-invasive medical subspecialties.
Main Methods:
- A computerized search of the MEDLINE database was conducted for 1994 journal issues.
- Journals were selected from the "Medicine", "Surgery", and "Cardiovascular System" sections of the "Brandon-Hill List".
Main Results:
- Medical subspecialty literature showed a statistically significant difference in bioethics content compared to general medical literature (p < 0.001).
- No significant difference in bioethics content was found between surgical literature and medical subspecialty literature.
- No statistically significant difference in bioethics content was observed between "invasive" and "non-invasive" medical subspecialties.
Conclusions:
- Medical subspecialty literature's bioethics content is significantly lower than general medical literature.
- Medical subspecialty literature's bioethics content is comparable to surgical literature.
- The distinction between invasive and non-invasive medical subspecialties does not significantly impact bioethics content.