Cost-conscious training of the physician: ethical analysis

Abstract

Waste in health is a global concern. The Choosing Wisely campaign proposes to discuss unnecessary
costs in health care, a relevant ethical aspect in medical education. The objective of this study is to
analyze the perception of medical professors of factors that interfere in the cost-conscious education
of medical students. This is a qualitative study, carried out with medical professors of an internship
program. The data were subjected to the thematic analysis technique. In total, 64 professors answered
the questionnaire. The following categories emerged: poor medical training, defensive medicine/fear,
influence of industry and consumption, lack of knowledge/commitment to the management of
health services, patients’ access to medical information online, and deficient patient care. Professors,
as potential trainers, have gaps in professional ethical and humanistic training that hinder the
applicability by the physician of the awareness campaign regarding costs.