Formulating the Code of Professional Responsibilities in Providing Rehabilitation Services based on a Narrative Review Study

Rehabilitation is one of the most important components of health, and includes a set of services to empower people with disability. The first step in providing a secure framework for professional ethics, is identifying the needs and rights of persons with disabilities based on the evidence and scientific documentation, and also the use of experiences from developed countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the available evidence of professional ethics through a narrative systematic review study designed to provide the basis for professional ethics in Iranian rehabilitation services. This was a narrative systematic evidence-based review study. All Persian and English articles published in the past 10 years with the main focus of ethical issues related to the provision of rehabilitation services in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and orthotics and prosthetics were considered. A structured search of the peer-reviewed literature catalogued in major electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) was conducted using the following words and their derivatives (Rehabilitation, Human right, Patient right, Professionalism, Justice, Autonomy, Responsibility, Ethics, Bioethics). The initial search by two reviewers yielded 1260 papers. Following review of title and abstract, 98 articles were considered relevant. 67 articles had full text. Full text review reduced this number to 24. To categorize the articles, four principles of biomedical ethics in principlism method. A set of professional responsibilities for the rehabilitation services were categorized in four principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, and also 10 titles outlined in the charter of physicians.