Medical Ethics

ISSN Print 2713-0894 ISSN Online 2713-0908

BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL OF ERMC EASTERN EUROPEAN

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Krotova MA

As the demands for professional doctor-patient communication are growing, communicative competency of a physician has acquired particular importance. This article explores this competency as a key objective in foreign language training for medical school students. Learning Latin in medical schools is traditionally associated with mastering anatomical, clinical, and pharmaceutical terminology. At the same time, the discipline is not used to the fullest extent though it allows to develop the communicative culture of future doctors and helps them interact effectively and ethically with patients. Teachers must explicitly convey to students that studying Latin (as well as any other foreign language) ultimately aims to build communicative competency. It is a universal professional trait that fosters professional growth and personal development due to the successful mastery of specialized disciplines.

Received: 2026-08-30

Published online: 2026-09-30

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.026

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Berngardt AV

The article reviews the ethical aspects of selecting educational resources to be used during foreign language lessons at a medical university under the conditions of digital transformation. Theory and practice are utilized to conclude that a teacher of a foreign language doesn’t only translate linguistic knowledge, but also acts as an ethical mediator who determines the professional and communicative competence of future doctors. The principles of bioethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice) are reviewed as the criteria for assessing the learning content, the significance of the intercultural approach and critical selection of authentic digital resources. A thematic plan and reflective practices that allow to include ethical issues into foreign language lessons with medical students and particular linguistic tasks are offered. It is concluded that the approach allows to develop linguistic skills, shape the professional identity and moral consciousness of medical students.

Received: 2026-08-26

Published online: 2026-09-15

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.025

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VIEWS 244

Yaltseva NV, Gauert VR, Leontyeva EA, Politova DA, Yaltsev AV, Politov SY, Belova BG

The article examines the contradiction between the biopsychosocial approach and evidence-based medicine. The traditional biomedical model, that has been dominating since the 17th century, focuses on pathophysiology and ignores the psychological and social factors. The alternative biopsychosocial model, offered by Engel G (1970–1990), treats a disease as a result of interacting biological, psychological and social factors. It corresponds to the definition of health provided by the WHO. The approach is, however, limited due to highly personalized nature, complex objective assessment of factors and risk of subjectivism. As evidence-based medicine became widespread, clinical focus transitioned toward statistically average patient populations. Consequently, this standardization minimized the individual differences, particularly psychosocial factors. The doctor-patient relationship becomes mechanistic. The authors stress that the biopsychosocial and evidence-based approaches cannot be opposed. Their synthesis is perspective. They rely on evidence-based data taking into account psychosocial characteristics of a patient. They include various integration options from the way the multidisciplinary team functions to the formation of the basis of patient’s profiles indicating psychosocial features. The central idea that unites three groups of factors as viewed by the patients includes the internal picture of illness. The complex approach is taken as an essential element of modern clinical thinking and medical culture.

Received: 2026-06-09

Published online: 2026-09-09

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.024

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VIEWS 229

Gabidullina LF, Kotlovsky MYu

This study is relevant due to the need to balance child protection and respect for the family, while mitigating the risks of stigmatization and confidentiality breaches during cooperation between agencies. This study aims to identify the ethical dilemmas that arise while supporting children at risk of social orphanhood and to provide recommendations for improving these support tendencies. The research methods include analyzing regional practices, algorithms of interaction between agencies, the work of specialized commissions and councils, and the legal and regulatory framework, which includes the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Russian social service standards. According to the results, the most ethical and effective methods rely on minimal intervention, family partnership, and transparent communication. Collaborative visits by specialists and parents, interdisciplinary consultations, and adapted methodologies for considering the child’s views are effective. Researchers used data from the Yaroslavl region to find the major ethical issues such as treating informed consent as a mere formality, risk of data leakage in central databases, ignoring the life experience of families, and treating a child’s opinion without deep care.

Received: 2026-06-25

Published online: 2026-08-23

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.023

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VIEWS 268

Kuznetsova EB

This article explores how learning a foreign language helps medical students develop soft skills. The author proves it is necessary to move beyond rote vocabulary learning and shows that a foreign language creates a distant environment for developing empathy, tact and the ability to conduct a delicate professional dialogue. The article examines three useful activity types: ethical dilemma case studies, role-play activities, and debates. A system for their integration into the educational process is proposed, and the teacher’s role as a guide for ethical communication is discu

Received: 2026-06-04

Published online: 2026-08-22

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.022

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VIEWS 286

Suryaninova JA, Berngardt OV

The article explores the ethical issues arising when teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) to medical students from India at Russian medical universities. The issues of intercultural communication, ethical training, medical ethics concepts for foreign medical students, and ethical challenges faced by a RFL teacher in a diverse classroom are reviewed. The role of language standards, language mediation, and associated moral and ethical challenges is shown. The ways to solve these ethical issues based on scientific literature and teaching practice at Yaroslavl State Medical University are suggested.

Received: 2026-06-26

Published online: 2026-08-20

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.021

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VIEWS 317

Zheltkevich OV

The article comprehensively analyzes the attitudes of pharmaceutical workers to own labels (OLs) of pharmacy chains, identifies motivation and demotivation factors in promotion of OLs, and assesses the relevance of OLs by product categories and ethics of established sales practices. As a result of an anonymous survey of pharmaceutical workers, a rating was formed on the relevance of presenting OLs in various product categories of the pharmacy range. Barriers, motivators for promotion for pharmaceutical workers when working with OLs, and tools for building customer trust when choosing OLs have been identified. The phenomenon of systemic cognitive dissonance has been established. According to it, professional doubts are suppressed by financial incentives, which looks like a conflict of interests. A model of transition from bonus promotion to an expert-oriented system is proposed.

Received: 2026-06-16

Published online: 2026-08-14

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.018

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VIEWS 445

Melnikova EY

This article explores the ethics of profit-focused healthcare by looking at English case studies intended for medical and business students. This study aims to find the main contradictions between a patient-centered approach to rendering medical aid and commercialized healthcare model in English texts, and to show why real-world case studies should be included into the process of teaching a foreign language to students majoring in Medicine and Economics. Typical case studies are analyzed in English. A physician or a healthcare manager has to choose between the patient’s interests and requirements of cost effectiveness. It is shown that when included into the teaching of a foreign language to medical and economics students, the case studies don’t only teach the professional English language, but also develop ethical thinking. It is concluded that the case study method is a perspective tool of teaching medical ethics to future professionals, who can recognize and resolve conflicts between patient care and market demands.

Received: 2026-06-16

Published online: 2026-08-14

DOI: 10.24075/medet.2026.019

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VIEWS 324