TITLE:
Knowledge and Practices Regarding Ethics and Professional Conduct among Staff at the Regional Hospital of Labé
AUTHORS:
Thierno Mamadou Cherif Diallo, Namandian Traore, Ousmane Camara, Ousmane Soumah, Sia Marie Ouendeno, Djenabou Bah, Sambou Oulare, Aly Badara Camara, Marie Rose Lamah, Idiatou Balde
KEYWORDS:
Medical Ethics, Professional Conduct, Knowledge, Attitudes, Healthcare Professionals, Regional Hospital of Labé, Guinea
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Clinical Medicine,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Public concern regarding the ethical conduct of healthcare professionals is steadily increasing, often resulting in complaints about unethical behavior. The Hippocratic Oath, professional codes of conduct, and laws governing medical practice are regularly developed and updated to promote ethical standards. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practical attitudes of healthcare personnel regarding medical ethics and professional conduct at the Regional Hospital of Labé, Guinea. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Regional Hospital of Labé from January 1 to June 30, 2025. All healthcare professionals who agreed to participate were included. Staff who were unavailable during the study period or declined participation were excluded. Exhaustive sampling was used, including all eligible participants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, professional category, and years of service), knowledge of ethical concepts and the fundamental principles of medical ethics, and the practical attitudes of healthcare workers in patient care. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: Among the 147 healthcare professionals surveyed, 55.10% were male and 44.90% were female (male-to-female ratio = 1.23). The 31 - 40-year age group was the most represented (38.78%), with a mean age of 35.4 ± 9.7 years (range: 19 - 65 years). Nurses constituted the largest professional group (57.83%). Nearly all respondents (95.2%; 140/147) reported being familiar with the concept of medical ethics, with medical schools and health training institutions being the main source of information (74.83%). More than four-fifths (87.07%) were aware of the existence of professional regulatory bodies in Guinea, while 55.78% knew about ethics committees. Almost all respondents (99.32%) agreed that every patient has the right to receive quality healthcare, and 85.71% recognized that every patient (or their legal representative) has the right to access their medical records. Regarding medical confidentiality, 49.66% considered it solely a duty of healthcare professionals, whereas 31.29% viewed it solely as a patient’s right. Concerning informed consent, 55.10% believed it was both a physician’s obligation and a patient’s right, while 38.78% considered it exclusively the physician’s responsibility to obtain it. Conclusion: Physicians and nurses are frequently confronted with ethical and legal issues in their daily clinical practice. However, many healthcare professionals are either unaware of the importance of these issues or lack the skills to address them appropriately. Strengthening ethics education, particularly through multidisciplinary training, could help bridge the gap in ethical understanding and practice among physicians, nurses, and patients.