Israel Journal of Health Policy Research最新文献

{"title":"Dental treatments reform for older adults in Israel: the first six years.","authors":"Ayelet Berg-Warman, Shlomo Paul Zusman, Ile Kermel Schifman, Shai Sade, Lena Natapov","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00767-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00767-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In 2019, a Universal Health Coverage reform of dental services for older adults was implemented in Israel, in order to improve their access to dental care, reduce financial obstacles and decrease inequalities in service utilization. This study aims to examine changes in dental care among elderly over the first 6 years of the reform.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Analysis of the utilization reports submitted by the HMOs to the Ministry of Health between the years 2019 (the beginning of the reform) to 2024. The reports included number of patients treated by type of treatments each year.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the first six years, the number of treated patients in the framework of the reform increased from 46.6 thousand to 129.4 thousand. During the years 2019 to 2024 there was a significant increase in preventive and first aid treatments (2.7 and 2.2-fold, respectively). Maintenance and surgical treatments increased moderately (1.8 and 1.6-fold, respectively),as well as rehabilitative treatments for 80 + age group and check-ups (1.5 and 1.4-fold, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>During the first six years of the dental treatment reform, there was a notable increase of older adults who received dental treatments at HMOs clinics.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13237909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148165124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insured but unequal: who really utilizes voluntary health insurance in Israel? Evidence from two consecutive cross-sectional studies.","authors":"Ruth Waitzberg, Rina Maoz-Breuer, Ella Katz, Nathan Shuftan","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00763-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00763-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Financial pressures on health systems have increased in recent years. Voluntary health insurance (VHI) could, in principle, fill in the gaps in public coverage and funding. However, there is little evidence on realized access to VHI-funded care - who uses it and for what services, especially in countries with high VHI ownership, such as Israel. Our study assesses gaps in VHI uptake and utilization across the Israeli population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two consecutive cross-sectional data were collected through two national surveys among the adult population (aged 22+) conducted in 2012 and again in 2022, with respective response rates of 61% (N= 2,330) and 52% (N = 2,536). Bivariate analyses (ꭓ²) estimated the differences between population groups in the rates of VHI ownership and utilization of services at least once during the two years preceding the survey, while multivariable logistic regressions estimated the corresponding odds ratios.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>VHI ownership rates remained high (around 83%) in both surveys but varied across subgroups. Arabs, residents of peripheral areas, and those in the lowest income quintile had lower ownership rates and lower likelihood of owning it. Overall, VHI self-reported utilization stood at 66% in 2022, lower than 76% in 2012. Visits to specialists were the only service category with increased utilization (from 20% to 28%). In 2022, VHI owners with lower incomes, lower education, and those residing in peripheral areas were also less likely to report utilizing VHI. Yet, Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews were more likely to report utilizing VHI. Those reporting poor health were also more likely to report utilizing VHI.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusions: </strong>Our study examines VHI ownership trends and gaps in utilization of VHI-funded services in Israeli populations. The regressive nature of VHI premiums and disproportionately higher utilization by owners with higher socioeconomic status highlights the limitations of VHI as a sustainable and equitable financing policy tool for healthcare to policymakers. This unequal coverage demonstrates that VHI is not a full substitute for public funds, potentially indicating access barriers, while showing that fewer insured are benefiting from coverage. Its role should be clearly defined to ensure it complements public healthcare coverage.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220429/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148057462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Enhancing medication literacy through a telepharmacy call center in Israel: consultation overview and patient satisfaction.","authors":"Ran Nissan, Rana Cohen, Maria Hurgin, Hen Popilski, Khaleel Zahalka, Merav Ben Natan, Eyal Schwartzberg","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00760-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00760-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13195968/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148006996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The implementation of a national registry for international medical volunteers during armed conflict: the Israeli experience.","authors":"Joseph Mendlovic, Tamar Keynan, Adam Cutler, Yoel Collick, Dorit Nitzan","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00765-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00765-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Israel established the Medical Volunteers for Israel (MVFI) registry to rapidly recruit, license, and integrate international physicians into its health system during emergencies. This study evaluates the registry's design, implementation, and operational outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A narrative synthesis of registry data was conducted using the MFVI dataset from October 2023 to August 2025. Quantitative analysis characterized physician demographics, specialty distribution, licensing status, and deployment outcomes. A standardized review of hospital needs assessment and licensing protocols was performed to detail the system's replicability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The registry enrolled 7,032 international physicians from over 50 countries, with 59% originating from the United States. High-demand specialties included anesthesiology (23% of deployed), emergency medicine (23%), and trauma surgery (12%). Of those registered, 453 physicians were successfully deployed to fill acute staffing gaps. Deployment occurred through a novel, hospital-specific temporary licensing mechanism that bypassed the traditional multi-month observation requirements for senior physicians entering the Israeli workforce. The process, designed to be efficient and similar to that for temporary licenses for visiting specialists, was intended to accelerate approvals and reduce bureaucracy. Although it was finalized before Oct 7, 2023, for earthquake preparedness, recruitment, and final approval occurred only after that date.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The MFVI registry demonstrates that a government-led, need-based integration of international medical personnel is an effective strategy for sustaining healthcare operations during emergencies. While successful in bridging staffing gaps, the model requires robust pre-deployment orientation to overcome language and system barriers. By embedding expertise directly into national infrastructure, this approach offers a scalable alternative to traditional parallel aid models such as emergency medical teams and field hospitals.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13195850/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147989567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uncovering unmet needs in healthcare teams: a cross-sectional study on the second victim phenomenon.","authors":"Shani Fisher, Ranit Djerassi, Yulia Gendler, Avinoam Pirogovsky, Jacob Dreiher","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00764-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00764-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare teams encounter adverse events and medical errors, and inadequate awareness and support can leave these teams vulnerable as \"second victims\" (SV). The objectives of our study were to assess healthcare professionals' understanding of the SV concept, evaluate the existing support systems in place, and identify the types of support mechanisms they consider most desirable.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In February 2024, the SV Experience and Support online survey was administered to healthcare workers in hospitals owned by Clalit Health Services, Israel. The survey focused on emotional responses following involvement in medical errors, perceived support from supervisors, and the availability of organizational resources. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software. A Likert scale was used, where 1 represented \"strongly disagree\" and 6 represented \"strongly agree.\"</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The survey was sent to 6,645 physicians and 11,855 nurses. A total of 483 physicians and 1,359 nurses participated in the survey (7.2% and 11.4% response rate, respectively). Both physicians and nurses reported high emotional stress (Mean scores: 4.89 ± 1.17 and 5.16 ± 1.06, respectively, p < 0.001) and embarrassment (Mean scores: 4.76 ± 1.16 and 4.94 ± 1.22, respectively, p < 0.001) following errors, with a notable desire for peer support (51.6%). Sleep disturbances also highlighted the adverse events' somatic burden and impact (Mean scores: 3.96 ± 1.49 and 4.22 ± 1.50, respectively, p = 0.002). The most desired support path was having a colleague to discuss the event (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Healthcare workers face a significant risk of becoming SV after unexpected medical events, and peer support is preferred. Program directors should therefore prioritize structured peer support initiatives, alongside robust formal systems and open communication, in accordance with workers' preferences. Addressing gaps in resource awareness and refining managerial approaches is essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13188354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147976362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decision fatigue among military primary care physicians: a retrospective study.","authors":"Shir Gutman, Dana Eskenazi Anoshi, Hadasa Sharshevsky, Barak Gordon","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00757-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00757-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Decision fatigue, based on Baumeister's \"Strength Model of Self-Control\", suggests that the quality of decision-making declines with the accumulation of decisions over time. This phenomenon, previously observed in various professional fields, may impact military physicians who make critical and organizational decisions. We aimed to assess how decision-making changes throughout the workday among military physicians in a clinic setting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective observational analysis was conducted using a database of 2 million medical encounters from the military medical record system between 2015 and 2019. Decision outcomes were tracked for exemptions from specific duties granted, sick leave issued, days of sick leave, emergency department referrals, antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections and spinal X-ray referrals for low back pain - in accordance with appointment time and physician employment type.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings showed a decrease in specific-duty exemptions granted by physicians until lunchtime, a peak post-lunch and a subsequent decline in the afternoon (p < 0.001). Referrals to the emergency department increased through the morning, dipped post-lunch and rose again by day's end (p < 0.001). Sick leave issuance and the number of days granted both declined as the day progressed, with the steepest decline in the afternoon (p < 0.001). Rates of antibiotic prescription for URTIs and spinal X-ray referrals for LBP did not vary significantly throughout the day. Civilian physicians tended to issue more sick leave, exemptions and referrals than regular duty physicians, though both groups demonstrated similar trends throughout the day.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the influence of decision fatigue on clinical decision-making among military physicians, showing a time-based decline in granting sick leave and specific-duty exemptions, with an increase in emergency referrals towards the end of the workday. These might have system-wide implications such as overutilization of healthcare, and increased health expenditure. Recognizing and addressing decision fatigue is important to mitigate its effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13169848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147934493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital emergency routing: analysis of feasibility, utilization, and equity implications.","authors":"Osnat Bashkin, Tamar Shalom, Ilan Yehoshua, Limor Adler","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00761-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00761-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Digital emergency care applications offer potential to reduce delays, enhance triage, and improve care coordination, yet evidence remains limited on their real-world implementation at scale. Maccabi Healthcare Services developed Maccabi-RED, a mobile application allowing patients to request urgent community-based care as an alternative to hospital emergency department visits. This study examines the implementation and utilization of Maccabi-RED during 2020-2023, aiming to describe demographic and clinical characteristics of patients initiating emergency care requests, identify factors associated with request approval and successful routing to community-based care and examine healthcare utilization patterns following app-initiated requests.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study analyzed de-identified electronic health record data from Maccabi Healthcare Services, including all patient-initiated emergency care requests through the Maccabi-RED application between January 2020 and December 2023. The study included 94,795 requests from 77,508 patients. We extracted demographic and clinical variables and examine patterns of subsequent healthcare utilization in the week following app-initiated emergency care requests, comparing approved versus non-approved requests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, 51.6% of requests were approved, resulting in urgent community clinic appointments. Service utilization increased substantially from 11,058 requests in 2020 to 36,532 in 2023. Approved requests were more common among older patients and those with chronic conditions. Emergency type strongly influenced approval rates, with foreign body cases showing substantially higher approval odds than orthopedic cases. Geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in approval rates were observed. In adjusted analyses, approved requests were associated with lower 7-day healthcare utilization, including fewer primary care physician visits and reduced odds of hospital emergency department and emergency medical center visits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The Maccabi-RED application demonstrates feasibility of scaling patient-initiated digital emergency routing, with potential to reduce downstream acute care utilization. However, observed approval disparities across age groups, geographic regions, and socioeconomic strata indicate that digital maturity alone does not guarantee equitable access. These findings underscore the importance of embedding equity considerations in system design, monitoring protocols, and capacity planning. Future development, including artificial intelligence-enabled decision support, should prioritize transparency and algorithmic fairness to improve performance without amplifying existing health inequities.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13151258/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Willingness to donate biosamples to a national biobank in Israel: a population-based cross-sectional survey.","authors":"Adelina Ovcharenko, Yehudit Cohen, Shimon A Reisner","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00762-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00762-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Israel is advancing large genetic and longitudinal studies in personalized medicine through national digital health initiatives. MIDGAM, the Israeli national biobank established in 2014, provides the core biosample and data infrastructure enabling this research. We investigated the willingness to donate samples and linked clinical data for research purposes, and examined preferences regarding the receipt of research-derived information, including incidental findings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A structured, self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically to a representative sample of the Israeli population. Participants were asked about their willingness to donate biosamples and linked data, and their opinions regarding receiving results including incidental findings. The data were analyzed by sociodemographic and health characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The survey included 1,607 respondents. 52% were willing to donate biosamples, and 40% were also willing to link them with their medical records and to receive incidental results (84.6% of those willing to donate). Individuals most willing to donate and receive research findings, were non-Ultra-Orthodox Jewish, secular, male, aged 30 to 49 years with post-secondary/academic education and above-average income. Additionally, respondents characterized by better general health, being physically active, and absence of chronic or severe illness were more willing to donate biosamples. The main barriers to biosample donation were concerns about data leakage, privacy violations and lack of understanding of the donation purpose.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Israel's biosample donation landscape mirrors global patterns, with notable sectorial and demographic disparities. Higher socioeconomic status and health engagement increase willingness to donate, while privacy concerns and the perceived burden of continued involvement reduce participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147693/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in socio-demographic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake by vaccine dose and time after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination in Israel: epidemiological and policy analysis study.","authors":"Hala Manaa, Dani Cohen, Khitam Muhsen","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00758-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00758-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evidence on sociodemographic disparities in COVID-19 booster vaccine uptake remains limited. We examined disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the Arab, ultraorthodox Jewish, and general Jewish populations in Israel (January 2021-August 2022), focusing on vaccine dose, community characteristics, and policy analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Publicly available COVID-19 data from 135 cities (≥ 10,000 residents) were analyzed. Cumulative vaccine uptake by dose was assessed by age and population group across 3 periods (period-1: to June 2021, period-2: to December 2021, period-3: to August 2022). Policy analysis was conducted using Walt and Gilson's Policy Triangle framework, drawing on the literature, government reports, official websites, and media coverage.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 76 predominantly non-ultraorthodox Jewish cities, 10 ultraorthodox Jewish cities, and 49 Arab cities were included. Compared to the general Jewish population, dose 1 uptake was lower in ultraorthodox (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.51, 95% CI 0.26-0.99) and Arab cities: IRR = 0.76, 0.53-1.09), with similar gaps for dose 2. Disparities widened with boosters: for dose 3, uptake was significantly lower in ultraorthodox cities (period-2 IRR = 0.38 [0.20-0.74], period-3: IRR = 0.39 [0.20-0.75]); and Arab cities (period-2 IRR = 0.55 [0.38-0.79], period-3 IRR = 0.56 [0.39-0.81]). For dose 4, gaps were largest in adults aged ≥ 60 years (ultraorthodox: IRR = 0.24 [0.12-0.47]; Arab: IRR = 0.15 [0.10-0.22]). Higher socioeconomic status was consistently associated with uptake, particularly for boosters. The peripherality index was associated with lower dose 4 uptake, suggesting geographic disparities and access barriers. Policy analysis highlighted Israel's rapid mass vaccination rollout and evidence-based booster adoption, but also declining booster uptake and widening sociodemographic inequities. The primary campaign relied on centralized mass vaccination efforts and intensive public messaging, achieving high coverage, while the booster phase was mainly integrated into existing infrastructure, with more targeted outreach and reduced media emphasis, shifting from infection prevention to severe-disease prevention policy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Persistent disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake widened during the booster phase in Israel. While rapid, centralized rollout achieved high initial coverage, sustaining equitable uptake proved challenging. These findings highlight the need for ongoing, equity-focused strategies, including targeted outreach and culturally tailored interventions throughout all phases of public health emergencies, particularly in the long-term phase, to strengthen existing healthcare infrastructure.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137699/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147822011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The oath and accountability: Insights From The 2nd Annual IDF Medical Corps Bioethics Conference during wartime.","authors":"Avi Shina, Maya Peled Raz, Noa Revivo Tuchner","doi":"10.1186/s13584-026-00755-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13584-026-00755-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps (IDF MC) assumes statutory responsibility for the health of personnel across all military branches and services within the IDF. Since the outbreak of the \"Swords of Iron\" war in October 2023, the Corps has operated under unprecedented conditions, treating casualties across multiple fronts. The prolonged conflict has posed immense challenges, raising complex ethical dilemmas that demand real-time processing. In July 2025, the IDF MC convened its second annual bioethics conference, \"The Oath and Accountability,\" gathering approximately 200 military healthcare leaders. The conference utilized a comparative analysis of the Medical Corps Oath vis-à-vis civilian codes to examine wartime realities. Discussions focused on real-life dilemmas presented by field personnel, exploring the profound tension between the dual identities of the \"soldier-healer\" and the conflict between clinical duty and operational necessity. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of ethical leadership, the conference underscored that maintaining openness to discuss ethical issues is a critical mechanism for resilience. Key themes included the cultivation of professional integrity and the exercise of \"ethical voice\" within a hierarchy. The conference concluded that ethical engagement transforms the medical officer from a technical provider into a strategic advisor on values in combat, reaffirming that a robust ethical compass is not a peacetime luxury but a vital operational strength and necessity.</p>","PeriodicalId":46694,"journal":{"name":"Israel Journal of Health Policy Research","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13130532/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}