Ethical Dilemmas in the Interdisciplinary Approach to Informed Consent to Patients in Physiotherapy Services in Romania

Physiotherapists become responsible for the rehabilitation of patients in a wide range of conditions, but the bioethical questions have not been sufficiently assimilated to academic studies. A cross-sectional survey was applied to both physiotherapists and patients, related to informed consent (IC). A number of 148 physiotherapists and 397 patients participated to the study. Differences between patients and physiotherapists regarding IC are discussed. Physiotherapists are reporting less frequency than patients regarding IC obtaining both at physiotherapy admission and physiotherapy onset, disregarding the legal demands. Patients social aspects related to IC level of understanding investigations indicate that university graduates' patients have a wide perception of IC process in physiotherapy. A low educational level was associated with disregard and overestimation of ethical components regarding physiotherapy services.