An Instrument for Perceiving Ethical Problems in Primary Healthcare: Psychometric Parameters and Ethical Components

Ethical issues in primary (health) care (PC) are common and are confronted daily. In the scarce literature that was available, Zoboli and Silva developed an instrument (IPE-APS) for perceiving ethical conflicts. Two empirical ex post facto studies to gather psychometric evidence for the instrument were outlined. In the first study, 88 nurses and physicians from Brazil’s Family Health (Saúde da Família—SF) responded to the IPE-APS, and the results confirmed its validity and accuracy. In total, 14 items were grouped in Factor I (relationship/responsibility), which was described as having human rights and deontological nature (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92), and 11 items were grouped in Factor II, which was described as having a labor structure nature (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90). In the second study, 207 SF professionals in Goiania, Goiás responded to the IPE-APS. The results showed that Factor I had a high factorial congruence index (0.98), which revealed high similarity and showed that the instrument displayed practical validity to identify and assess ethical problem perception in PC.