Bulgarian bioethicists on patients' responsibility as a basis for prioritisation in healthcare

Abstract Background Patients’ responsibility as a criterion for setting priorities in healthcare has been widely discussed in the academic literature recently while the empirical knowledge is still limited. Methods We investigated perceptions of bioethicists within the Bulgarian Association of Bioethics and Clinical ethics (BABCE) on the relevance of patient's responsibility for priority setting in Bulgarian healthcare context through focus group interview. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Conceptually driven thematic analysis was used. Results The findings suggest that members of BABCE supported the concept of patients’ responsibility but were reluctant to the application of the life style contract as a basis for prioritization in health care. The life style contract was seen as not corresponding to Bulgarian cultural particularities. The existing similar mechanisms in the field of social assistance in our country had proved to be ineffective. The main precondition for introduction of patients’ responsibility was the building of supportive environment on the side of the society and the government. The concept of prospective responsibility was seen as more acceptable than the retrospective responsibility. The participants distinguished other dimensions of personal responsibility such as intentional damages of healthcare facilities, misuse of resources, violence towards health professionals that were considered as deleterious to the healthcare system as the life style induced diseases. Conclusions The acceptance of patients’ responsibility as a criterion for prioritization in health care in Bulgaria needs to be studied further among wider professional community and the general public. A field study in the real national conditions would contribute to the development of specific tools to deal with resource allocation issues in our context. Key messages • Prioritisation in healthcare is inevitable and patients’ responsibility could be an acceptable criterion under certain conditions. • National particularities should be studied to find the most appropriate tools to deal with resource allocation issues.