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March 25-26, 2019 | Amsterdam, Netherlands
2
nd
Global Public Health Congress
Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education | ISSN : 2161-0711
Volume 09
Global Public Health 2019
Moral distress and educational level in medical officers at National
Cancer Institute Sri Lanka
Background:
Moral distress is emotional stress experienced by health care workers
due to
ethically conflicting situations while caring for patients. Medical officers providing
care for cancer patients at National Cancer Institute Sri Lanka may encounter moral
distress. Educational level of the medical officers can influence their moral distress.
Objectives:
The main objective of this study is to describe the relationship between moral
distress and level of education in medical officers working in National Cancer Institute
Sri Lanka.
Method:
A cross sectional survey carried out by a structured self-administered
questionnaire using moral distress scale adapted to the study context with the educational
level questionnaire. A total of 160 medical officers working in the national cancer institute
were included in the study.
Results:
The survey was completed by 132 medical officers and 77 of them had very
mild or no moral distress and 55 of them had mild to moderate moral distress. Among
the medical officers had very mild or no moral distress 35.1% of them had post graduate
qualifications apart from their basic medical degree while only a 18.2% of medical
officers had post graduate qualifications among the very mild or no moral distress group.
In the assessment of the association of the level of moral distress with the education
level, a statistically significant difference (p=0.33) was noted and further it is evident that
this difference arises due to the low percentage of (27%) individuals with post graduate
qualifications in the mild to moderate moral distress group.
Conclusion:
A significant association of the level of moral distress with educational level
was noted and those with postgraduate qualifications have low levels of moral distress in
comparison with those without post graduate qualifications.
Biography
Amjed Duwegoda has obtained his MBBS (CTG), MSc (med Admin), MCGP (SL), DDM (India has his expertise
in evaluation and passion in improving the health and wellbeing of the community and the health care workers.
He works as the Medical Superintendent of Base Hospital, Nikaweratiya, Sri Lanaka.
Amjedduwegoda@gmail.comAmjed Duwegoda, J Community Med Health Educ 2019, Volume 09
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0711-C2-057
Amjed Duwegoda
Ministry of Health, Nutrition and
Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka