The level of ethical sensitivity of health care professionals who care for patients with HIV may shed light on ethical behaviors in HIV care. However, little research has determined how such professionals view ethical issues in clinical practice in China. The purpose of our qualitative descriptive study was to explore the ethical sensitivity of health care professionals in Hunan Province, China, and to discuss the existing deficiencies. We used purposive sampling to recruit 17 health care professionals who provided direct care to patients with HIV and conducted interviews with them. Interview transcripts were analyzed by thematic analysis. Informants showed certain sensitivities to ethical issues, but the majority also held stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with HIV, and exhibited ethics driven by HIV-related laws and regulations rather than ethical principles. There is room to improve the ethical sensitivity of health care professionals who care for patients with HIV in China.

Numerous ethical issues surged the moment acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was discovered. As advocates of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), health professionals encounter many ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. However, it remains unclear how health professionals solve these issues. The descriptive qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 22 health professionals from May to August 2018. Three themes emerged from data analyses of the interviews: (1) real ethical dilemma experienced by health professionals, (2) factors influencing ethical judgment, (3) ethical motivations. About two-thirds of participants failed to recall ethical dilemmas experienced in their clinical practice. Emotions, gender, occupation, and difficulty balancing different roles may influence the ethical judgments of health professionals. In the ethical decision-making (EDM) process, most participants took other people’s interests into consideration and conformed to law and professional codes of conduct. However, the fear of medical disputes (conflicts with families and others) was experienced by many participants, influencing their ethical behaviors.

Abstract Background: Numerous ethical issues surged the moment AIDS was discovered. As advocates of HIV-infected people, health professionals encounter many ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. However, it remains unclear how health professionals solve these issues. To explore the ethical decision-making experiences of health professionals who care for HIV-infected people in Hunan Province, China, and to discuss the strategies for enhancing ethical decision-making competence in AIDS care. Methods: This descriptive qualitative research adopted semi-structured, in-depth interview and thematic analysis. Participants were recruited by purposive sampling. In total, twenty-two participants completed the interview. Results: Three themes emerged from data analyses of the interviews: (1) common ethical dilemma experienced by health professionals, (2) factors influencing ethical judgment, (3) ethical motivations. Conclusion: About two thirds of informants failed to recall ethical dilemmas experienced in their clinical practice. Emotions, gender, occupation, and difficulty balancing different roles may influence the ethical judgments of health professionals. In the ethical decision-making process, most informants took other people’s interests into consideration and conformed to law and professional codes of conduct. However, negative attitudes towards HIV-infected people still exist among a few professionals. Furthermore, some informants showed a misunderstanding of ethical principles. And the fear of medical disputes (conflicts with families and others) was experienced by many informants, influencing their ethical behaviors. Hence, more efforts are needed to eliminate negative attitudes towards HIV-infected patients. This study underscores the importance of continuing ethical education for HIV/AIDS-related professionals to enhance their ethical decision-making competence. Moreover, sound governmental laws may promote ethical behavior in AIDS care.