Implementation of Codes of Ethics in Higher Education Institutions in the United Arab Emirates: Case of the Ministry of Health and Prevention

Purpose:
Academics, business leaders, lawmakers, and others are increasingly recognizing the importance of professional ethics. As a result, efforts have been made to promote professional ethics by focusing on the code of ethics. As there are many professional bodies with their own ethical standards, there are several codes of ethics. This study critically examines the codes of ethics adopted by Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to identify the main ethical issues, the activities implemented in response, and how the code of ethics is applied in institutions of higher medical education.

Design:
Medical codes of ethics in UAE universities were examined, and an in-depth case study of the code of ethics issued by (MOHAP) and how it is applied in medical colleges was conducted. The four issues proposed by UAEU Medicine College (individual, managerial, organizational, and societal ethics) were used as a framework to investigate the activities conducted by UAE universities.

Findings:
This research paper presents the study’s findings of the implementation of the ethical codes in various universities.
The code of ethics was adopted by the MOHAP in the UAE for all health providers; based on this code, medical colleges at universities in the UAE prepared their own codes of ethics for their staff members and students.

Practical implications:
To assist professionals and leaders in higher education institutions, the following guidelines should be applied when implementing the code of ethics in a variety of situations:
- Determine what behaviors are appropriate.
- Encourage the adoption of high professional standards.
- Use the code of ethics as a metric for professionals to assess themselves
- Provide a framework for professional conduct and responsibilities.

Originality:
This is one of the first studies to analyze the code of ethics in higher medical education institutions in the UAE. The primary ethical issues and associated actions were identified in this study.