Importance: Ethical and bioethical issues are central to the identity and practice of physical therapy. A comprehensive overview of how these issues are addressed in the literature is essential for advancing education, clinical practice, and professional reflection. Objective: The objective was to systematically map ethical and bioethical issues in the physical therapy literature, describe the methodologies employed, and identify key gaps to inform education, practice, and policy. Data sources: Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PEDro, grey literature sources, and academic library resources were searched from inception to October 2024. The review protocol was prospectively published on medRxiv. Study selection: Studies addressing ethical or bioethical issues in physical therapy were included, encompassing both normative and descriptive (empirical) approaches. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 108 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and synthesis: Data were extracted using a modified Joanna Briggs Institute standardized form. A narrative synthesis was conducted to map ethical themes and characterize methodological approaches across studies. Main outcomes and measures: Identification and mapping of ethical and bioethical themes and characterization of research methodologies applied. Results: A total of 15,464 records were identified; 3223 duplicates were removed. Of 12,241 titles and abstracts screened, 385 full texts were assessed, and 108 studies were included. Major themes included ethical reasoning (n = 33), ethical reasoning and education (n = 19), ethical theories (n = 12), care relationships (n = 15), justice and equity (n = 8), perception of ethical issues (n = 13), and codes of ethics (n = 8). Key challenges involved physical touch, informed consent, professional boundaries, and moral distress. Structural barriers, cultural contexts, and disparities in ethics education were recurring concerns. Ethical reasoning was often situational and intuitive, whereas formal codes were frequently perceived as disconnected from clinical practice. Conclusions and relevance: Ethical complexities in physical therapy arise from its embodied, relational, and context-sensitive nature. The literature reveals variability in how ethics is taught and applied across settings and highlights underexplored areas, including oncology, end-of-life care, digital health and artificial intelligence, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Findings emphasize the need to strengthen ethics education, reinforce the application of existing codes of ethics, and provide organizational support for ethical deliberation. This synthesis provides a foundation for future research and can inform curricular development, clinical practice, and policy initiatives in physical therapy ethics.
Ethical and bioethical issues in physical therapy: A systematic scoping review
Bertoni, Gianluca;Patuzzo Manzati, Sara;Pagani, Federica;Battista, Simone
2026-01-01
Abstract
Importance: Ethical and bioethical issues are central to the identity and practice of physical therapy. A comprehensive overview of how these issues are addressed in the literature is essential for advancing education, clinical practice, and professional reflection. Objective: The objective was to systematically map ethical and bioethical issues in the physical therapy literature, describe the methodologies employed, and identify key gaps to inform education, practice, and policy. Data sources: Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PEDro, grey literature sources, and academic library resources were searched from inception to October 2024. The review protocol was prospectively published on medRxiv. Study selection: Studies addressing ethical or bioethical issues in physical therapy were included, encompassing both normative and descriptive (empirical) approaches. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 108 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and synthesis: Data were extracted using a modified Joanna Briggs Institute standardized form. A narrative synthesis was conducted to map ethical themes and characterize methodological approaches across studies. Main outcomes and measures: Identification and mapping of ethical and bioethical themes and characterization of research methodologies applied. Results: A total of 15,464 records were identified; 3223 duplicates were removed. Of 12,241 titles and abstracts screened, 385 full texts were assessed, and 108 studies were included. Major themes included ethical reasoning (n = 33), ethical reasoning and education (n = 19), ethical theories (n = 12), care relationships (n = 15), justice and equity (n = 8), perception of ethical issues (n = 13), and codes of ethics (n = 8). Key challenges involved physical touch, informed consent, professional boundaries, and moral distress. Structural barriers, cultural contexts, and disparities in ethics education were recurring concerns. Ethical reasoning was often situational and intuitive, whereas formal codes were frequently perceived as disconnected from clinical practice. Conclusions and relevance: Ethical complexities in physical therapy arise from its embodied, relational, and context-sensitive nature. The literature reveals variability in how ethics is taught and applied across settings and highlights underexplored areas, including oncology, end-of-life care, digital health and artificial intelligence, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Findings emphasize the need to strengthen ethics education, reinforce the application of existing codes of ethics, and provide organizational support for ethical deliberation. This synthesis provides a foundation for future research and can inform curricular development, clinical practice, and policy initiatives in physical therapy ethics.
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