Ethics support services are being developed in many European countries, but the evidence base concerning the types of ethical dilemmas faced by physicians in these countries is small. The ways in which physicians respond to ethically difficult situations and the types of ethical support they would consider useful in such cases are also largely unexplored. In this study, we aim to explore the experience of physicians regarding ethical issues at the bedside in Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. These are countries with very different cultural contexts, where ethics support services are in various stages of development. A better understanding of the ethical difficulties encountered by physicians in these different settings and the ways in which they respond to them would be useful locally to assist the development of support services. It would also permit intercultural comparison of the practical answers given to difficult questions for which there cannot be said that there is one right answer.

One of the ethical dilemmas faced by physicians at the bedside is the allocation of scarce resources. This is of particular interest, as it has implications that go beyond the physician-patient encounter. The choices made by physicians in situations of scarce resources not only reflect their values, but also the constraints they must work with. Knowing more about the role of those factors could be an important contribution to an evidence base for health policy.

This is an exploratory cross-sectional self-administered mailed survey of physicians in primary care in Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. The part of the survey instrument exploring physicians' experience and attitudes regarding resource allocation at the bedside will also be conducted in the U.S. The questionnaire will address the type and frequency of ethical dilemmas faced by physicians, how they approach such dilemmas, the type of ethical support they would find useful in such situations, as well as their attitudes and practices in situations of scarce resources. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, factorial analysis of variance to determine factors associated with the type and frequency of ethical difficulties encountered, and logistic regression to determine factors associated with reported rationing behavior and with perception of the equity of the health care system. Independent variables used in the analysis of the last two points will also include health care systems' characteristics collected from the literature. Participants will be selected on the basis of national listings. To ensure sufficient exposure to direct clinical practice, inclusion criteria will include direct patient care for at least a year and at least 20% of the participants' time.