Predictors of Physician Recommendation for Ethically Controversial Medical Procedures: Findings from an Exploratory National Survey of American Muslim Physicians

• Published in: Journal of religion and health Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 403 - 421
• Main Authors: Mahdi, Sundus, Ghannam, Obadah, Watson, Sydeaka, Padela, Aasim I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer 01.04.2016; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Bioethics; Clinical Psychology; Decision making; Female; Health Care Surveys - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Islam; Islamic ethics; Koran; Male; Medical ethics; Medical practice; Medical procedures; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Muslims; Original Paper; Physicians; Physicians - ethics; Public Health; Religion and Medicine; Religiosity; Religious Studies; Tubal ligation; United States; Young Adult; ḍarūrāh; Physician decision-making; Islamic bioethics; Religiosity
• ISSN: 0022-4197; 1573-6571
• DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0154-y

Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can thereby impact healthcare delivery. Using a national survey of American Muslim physicians, we explored the association between physician recommendation of three controversial medical procedures—tubal ligation, abortion, and porcine-based vaccine—and their (1) religiosity, (2) utilization of bioethics resources, and (3) perception of whether the procedure was a medical necessity and if the scenario represented a life threat. Generally, multivariate models found that physicians who read the Qur'an more often as well as those who perceived medical necessity and/or life threat had a higher odds recommending the procedures, whereas those who sought Islamic bioethical guidance from Islamic jurists (or juridical councils) more often had a lower odds. These associations suggest that the bioethical framework of Muslim physicians is influenced by their reading of scripture, and the opinions of Islamic jurists and that these influences may, paradoxically, be interpreted to be in opposition over some medical procedures.