Ethical Challenges at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented influx of patients in hospitals, raising ethical concerns not just about triage and life-support decisions but also about family visits and the quality of end-of-life care. The value of ethics in the public healthcare system cannot be overstated; nonetheless, the ethics-related problems (or issues) identified during this epidemic have been linked to a lack of accountability, resource allocation challenges, and a loss of trust in healthcare providers. These elements have the ability to shake our ethical ideas, exacerbate ethical dilemmas, and put carers in dangerous situations. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and distribution of ethical principles in COVID-19-related research publications. Methods: The keywords were used to check the articles published on ethics-related problems at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, published between January 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022. Secondly, we aimed to identify the prevalence and distribution of these ethical principles in research publications related to COVID-19. Results: A total of 6152 articles were identified; 2816 were included for abstract and title screening. Of the 159 articles, 134 were excluded based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining 25 articles were scrutinised extensively. There were 17 (68%) literature reviews, 5 (20%) systematic reviews, 1 (4%) integrative review, 1 (4%) cross-sectional study, and 1 (4%) observational study. Conclusion: It is evident from the multitude of papers on the issue that medical ethical challenges, as well as ethical discussions and debates, continue to develop virtually every day. We attempted to portray the COVID-19 whirlpool, encompassing the scope, nature, and urgency of the issues that developed in a highly charged political atmosphere. There have been efforts to use ethical considerations to justify triage procedures. An imbalance between utilitarian and individual ethics, regardless of perspective, leads to insoluble discomforts that carers must overcome.