This article presents the results of a systematic literature review on religiosity and spirituality, particularly in the work context. We aimed to verify the state-of-the-art of scientific production related to these themes. To achieve the proposed objective, we identified 312 articles published in journals in the period between 1960 and 2018 using a rigourous method of analysis and sorting, which resulted in 52 appropriate studies. The analyses presented are based on the three bibliometric laws: those of Lotka, Bradford and Zipf. (...) This article brings contributions that encompass four approaches: measurement scales of spirituality and religiosity; behavioural benefits of religiosity in individuals; insertion of religiosity and spirituality in social service practice; and research directions. This research presents technical and managerial implications to provide theoretical support for the creation of programmes and/or practices of spirituality and religion in the workplace as an effective strategy, towards ethical attitudes. Also, this study contributes to the methodological achievement of SLRs in the field of religion in the workplace, highlighting an effective method for thematic mapping, and holistically identifying new research topics and directions, especially because of the several guidelines presented. (shrink)

Despite the proliferation of research on ethical leadership, there remains a limited understanding of how specifically the assumingly moral component of this leadership style affects employee behavior. Taking an identity perspective, we integrate the ethical leadership literature with research on the dynamics of the moral self-concept to posit that ethical leadership will foster a sense of moral identity among employees, which then inspires followers to adopt more ethical actions, such as increased organization citizenship behavior. We further argue that these identity (...) effects should be more pronounced when leaders are perceived to be group prototypical, as their actions then speak louder to followers’ sense of identity. Two studies—a scenario experiment with 138 participants and a field study with 225 employees—provided support for our hypothesized moderated mediation model. Perceived ethical leadership positively affected OCB via followers’ moral identity but only under conditions of high perceived leader group prototypicality. We discuss how the identity pathway of ethical leadership can facilitate novel theorizing about moral transference. Our findings also suggest that, when hiring external ethical leaders or training internal managers, practitioners are well advised to consider that these individuals may only be effective in morally transforming followers when they are perceived as prototypical for the group. (shrink)

Los y las estudiantes denominados migrantes internos o interregionales, así como los jóvenes migrantes retornados o pertenecientes a la generación 1.5 enfrentan un cúmulo de adversidades que deben sortear durante sus trayectorias escolares en la universidad pública y en muchos de los casos no son visibilizadas ni atendidas por las IES. En el presente ensayo se pretende proveer algunas estrategias que puedan servir de punto de partida para la atención y seguimiento a estos grupos de población estudiantil.

Este trabajo plantea el papel que juega la Providencia tanto en el curso de la historia como en el posible conocimiento de ésta. En ambos casos la Providencia es un factor 'ad extra' en los hechos históricos, que dependen del arbitrio del hombre .This paper questions the role of Providence, as much in the course of history as in the possible knowledge of it. In both cases Providence is an 'ad extra' factor in historical facts, that depend on the freedom (...) of man. (shrink)

The overturn of Roe v. Wade has resulted in fewer rights and resources for people seeking abortion care, particularly in the South. The Hyde Amendment has historically restricted abortion access for those enrolled in Medicaid. We argue here that its guarantees of minimum abortion coverage should be leveraged to offset harms where possible.

O objetivo do presente artigo é expor a leitura que a psicanálise lacaniana levanta acerca das causas que levam à irrupção da agressividade, principalmente em razão do caráter frequente deste fenômeno em educação. Sendo o método utilizado basicamente o dissertativo, procurou-se ressaltar a dimensão filosófica do problema. O próprio Lacan se apropria do legado hegeliano e marxista para desdobrar a tese da agressividade enquanto realização de uma dinâmica instaurada a partir do olhar e que tem o seu modus operandi nos (...) movimentos de alienação e de desalienação. A agressividade, ilustrada, por exemplo, pelas injúrias sofridas pelos professores mostra-se como tentativa de provocar a queda do Outro, queda essa tida como objeto a cujo modo de aparição é regulado pelo complexo de Édipo. Isto é, tanto o modo como se inscrevem as figuras de autoridade parentais nas cadeias significantes de que é composto o sujeito quanto o modo como essa inscrição molda as possibilidades existenciais de articulação com o sexo oposto seriam chave para antevermos em que medida o sujeito faz uso da agressividade. Nessa medida, o complexo de Édipo, reinvestido pelo acontecimento da puberdade, seria responsável pelo deslocamento da libido ora para o Outro ora para o próprio sujeito. O Outro, no desdobramento teórico de Lacan que se segue à década de 60, compreende tanto as escolhas identificatórias quanto aquilo que escapa a qualquer identificação. O Outro, por exemplo, na figura do professor, tem tanto o papel de se posicionar enquanto tal e assim gerar intuitivamente um processo de identificação, quanto o delicado papel de sustentar a dialética que surge no momento em que o Outro cai, momento esse que frequentemente se segue à identificação e que acontece junto a um gozo capaz de desvelar o objeto a. Muito embora o papel em educação não seja manter uma ausculta a esse objeto, a educação pode fazer com que esse objeto não seja excluído e seja contornado junto ao advento de singularidades. Neste momento, a explicitação das regras através das quais a educação se constitui assim como a empatia do educador aparecem como instrumentos fundamentais na educação tanto quanto a própria matéria a ser ensinada. Do texto, depreendemos a seguinte conclusão: acerca da necessidade de causarmos a colocação da agressividade na fala como via de conquista do processo de desalienação conjugada com uma possibilidade de sustentação do desejo. (shrink)

El propósito de la investigación es determinar el impacto de los programas formativos ofertados por las autoridades educativas en 2021, en el estado de Tabasco, México en docentes de educación básica que laboran en contextos vulnerables. La importancia del estudio se comprende ya que es una estrategia que el Estado Mexicano aplica para impulsar la calidad e inclusión educativas. El enfoque es cuantitativo, la validación y confiabilidad del instrumento se realizó a través del juicio de expertos y un alfa de (...) Cronbach de 0.92.Los resultados obtenidos proporcionaron información relevante relacionada con aspectos académicos y tecnológicos. (shrink)

O artigo apresenta dados referentes a pacientes que abandonaram tratamento psicoterápico. Os dados foram coletados nos protocolos de uma clínica psicoterápica. Pesquisaram-se as razões verbalizadas pelos pacientes ao abandonarem a terapia. A partir do levantamento dos registros, verificou-se um índi..

Durante los últimos decenios, viene ganando terreno un modelo de uni-versidad basado en el management, en detrimento de la universidad humboldtiana, erigida sobre pilares humanísticos. Esta situación nos interpela con vehemencia: ¿qué lugar deberían ocupar las humanidades en las universidades actuales? El presente trabajo intentará contri-buir a este interrogante desde una perspectiva en particular, a saber: ¿qué puede aportar la enseñanza de la ética filosófica a estudiantes de carreras científicas y tecnológicas?

Las empresas forman parte esencial del sistema económico global, y contribuyen significativamente a su crecimiento sostenido, propiciando el desarrollo por medio de la generación de empleo y creación de riqueza. En este sentido, la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo diseñar un modelo teórico de transformación empresarial con enfoque en recursos estratégicos, conducente a la mejora competitiva.La investigación engloba un estudio de nivel puro, incluye un diseño descriptivo, explicativo y de relación; dirigido a 127 empresas del sector agroexportador de la Región (...) de Tacna, Perú. El modelo teórico propuesto desglosa diferentes dimensiones que explican la competitividad en sus diversas fases. (shrink)

Primer trimestre 2020, aislamiento social por Pandemia. Había que redimensionar la educación telepresencial. Seguir siendo maestros por vocación y decisión, formando ciudadanos para un mundo sin precedente. Nuevas exigencias de planificación para logros efectivos de aprendizaje. Actividades sincrónicas, asincrónicas y autónomas, convirtiendo el aula en una hiperaula, hiperconectada. El modelo constructivista, pedagogías innovadoras, didácticas colaborativas y dialógicas serían ensambladas desde la telemática, para validarlas como buenas prácticas, con el propósito de seguir formando alumnos que logren sus propios constructos cognitivos significativos (...) y sustentables, desde el reto perpetuo y hoy más vigente que nunca de desaprender, para reaprender. (shrink)

Pretendemos examinar a noção de consciência (Gewissen) na primeira fase do pensamento heideggeriano. Para tanto, investigamos Ser e Tempo, em especial o segundo capítulo da segunda seção (§§ 55-60), no qual o autordestaca o fenômeno da consciência como existencial e originário, designando-o como apelação. Através da consciência – ao apelar e ao mesmo tempo compreender o clamor dessa apelação – o ser-aí, enquanto ser-no-mundo, pode ser de modo autêntico. Notemos que à pergunta quem clama nessa aclamação, responde-se: o ser-aí angustiado. (...) A consciência, dessa forma, designa o movimento pelo qual o ser-aí direciona-se para o seu poder-ser, em sentido autêntico que, como possibilidade, já e sempre é.Keywords:Consciência. Ser e Tempo. Apelação. Autenticidade. (shrink)

El presente trabajo realiza un análisis de los usos de la cartografía pedagógica, centrándose en artículos científicos que registran la experiencia de maestros en educación formal, identificando cómo la han aplicado, en quiénes la han desarrollado y qué implicaciones sociales y educativas ha tenido en los lugares donde se ha implementado. Se examinó un total de 90 publicaciones entre 2017 a 2022, de diferentes países, identificando aciertos, hallazgos, y oportunidades que presenta esta metodología. Los resultados indican la ventaja que tiene (...) como estrategia metodológica, para la investigación educativa y para construir nuevos conocimientos dentro del contexto académico y social. (shrink)

Resumen. Este estudio de naturaleza descriptiva-explicativa pone énfasis en la calidad de aprendizaje, los beneficios de aptitudes y actitudes del docente como gerente participativo y la eficiencia que tiene un buen trabajo en equipo. En conjunto estos objetivos se enfocaron en la participación activa de todos sus actores para la toma de decisiones, implementando un liderazgo compartido y un poder socializado para que exista una responsabilidad compartida y se busque una meta en común, dejando atrás antiguas metodologías de enseñanza, evaluación (...) y aprendizaje para propiciar un ambiente suficientemente dinámico, interactivo, crítico y reflexivo que permita la calidad de aprendizaje y excelencia en el aula.Palabras claves. Docente, Gerencia Participativa, Aprendizaje, Trabajo en equipo.. This study of descriptive-explanatory nature places emphasis on the quality of learning, the benefits of skills and attitudes of the teacher as a participatory and efficient manager who has a good teamwork. Together, these objectives focused on the active participation of all stakeholders for decision-making, implementing a shared leadership and socialized power so that there is a shared responsibility and find a common goal, past ancient methodologies of education, evaluation and learning to promote an environment sufficiently dynamic, interactive, allowing critical and reflective quality of learning and excellence in the classroom.Keywords. Teacher, Management Participatory Learning, Teamwork. (shrink)

The historical-cultural theory of Intellectual Disability overcompensation/compensation is referenced in several studies, but little empirical evidence is presented to corroborate this thesis. In this work, 13 current studies were analysed about the behavioural profile of people with Down syndrome, a case of neurobiological ID, published in the last 15 years, in order to verify the possibility of dialogue with the theorizing about compensation. Despite contributing to an up to date understanding of DS, the results point to similarities between different scientific (...) traditions allowing discussions regarding methodologies, data interpretation, language comprehension, and the impact of the studies for school inclusion and the development of people with ID/DS. It is concluded that the theorization in question is pertinent to developmental studies, dialogues with other perspectives and that its progress depends on investigations directed to the affective motivators/emotions of the person with ID/DS by means of more interpretative methodologies. Keywords: Down syndrome, compensation, behavioural profile, Intellectual Disabilities Development. (shrink)

Resumen. La propuesta de estudio, que se desarrollará durante el 2012, pretende llegar a la sociedadcon un aporte sobre: valores, habilidades gerenciales y responsabilidad social, que evidencian poseerlos estudiantes de últimos niveles de las carreras de Administración y Contabilidad de lasUniversidades de Quito categoría A. Se contribuirá a orientar en el cumplimiento de los fines yobjetivos nacionales expuestos en la Ley de Educación Ecuatoriana. Demanda de las universidades lapreparación de profesionales bajo una visión humanista, líderes críticos, con alto sentido depertenencia, (...) que sintoniza con la misión y visión de estas instituciones. El estudio responde a unainvestigación aplicada de carácter inductivo-deductivo que utiliza la encuesta como instrumento demedición. El marco teórico se basa en habilidades gerenciales de los estudiantes, futuroslíderes/gerentes que tomarán decisiones en el futuro inmediato, siempre con la visión de que laexcelencia no es solo conocimiento sino la persona con sus valores éticos. La propuesta base paralas habilidades gerenciales es la del sicólogo americano Edgar Schein bajo el abrigo de unaformación humanística Ignaciana, para el respeto propio, del entorno y el mundo. Los resultadosserán una referencia para la construcción de un modelo sobre formación integral de estudiantesuniversitarios desde la visión de la persona en comunidad.Palabras claves. Desarrollo integral, habilidades gerenciales, valores éticos, responsabilidad social.. The objective of the study, which will be developed during 2012, is to reach the societywith a contribution of: values, management skills and social responsibility, that Administration andAccounting senior students of A Class Universities in Quito show. The study will guide in thefulfillment of national objectives stated in the Ecuadorian Education Law. The Universities areexpected to prepare professionals under a humanist approach, critical leaders, with a high sense ofownership that tune with the mission and vision of these institutions. The study is the response to aninductive-deductive applied research that uses the survey as a measure instrument. The theoreticalframework is based on student’s management skills, which will become leaders/managers that willbe decision makers in the near future, always with the vision that excellence is not only about theknowledge but also about ethical values. The base of the proposal for management skills is the one ofthe American Psychologist Edgar Schein, based on Ignatius humanistic education, for self,environment and world respect. The results will be the reference to build a model on student’scomprehensive education from the vision of a person in the community.Keywords. Comprehensive education, management skills, ethical values, social responsibility. (shrink)

We performed a critical review of the historiographical studies on biogeography. We began with the pioneering works of Augustin and Alphonse de Candolle. Then, we analyzed the historical accounts of biogeography developed by (1) Martin Fichman and his history on the extensionism-permanentism debate; (2) Gareth Nelson and his critique of the Neo-Darwinian historiography of biogeography; (3) Ernst Mayr, with his dispersalist viewpoint; (4) Alan Richardson, who wrote a microhistory on the biogeographic model constructed by Darwin; (5) Michael Paul Kinch and (...) the ideas discussed in the 19th century about the geographical distribution of living beings; (6) Janet Browne, who highlighted the importance of the pre-Darwinian naturalists; (7) Peter Bowler, who focused mainly on the influence of paleontology on biogeography; (8) James Larson, who looked into the practices of the naturalists of Northern Europe in the late 18th century; and (9) Malte Ebach, who like Larson, was more interested in analysing the practices rather than the ideas of naturalists who studied the geographical distribution of organisms. Finally, these works are compared with each other. There has not been a dominant paradigm in the construction of historical narratives of biogeography; however, they provide a useful context for understanding problems of biogeography that continue to be debated to this day. (shrink)

No School Manifesto' is a book that serves as a key reference and inspiration for people working in (creative) education, ranging from teachers and school leaders at informal, secondary and vocational education and academies to museum educators, artists (in the broadest sense of the word), policy makers, and everyone who supports education and has an interest in developing new perspectives through creativity. No School is a movement that wants to open up the meaning of learning and fundamentally questions traditional education, (...) through creativity. Curiosity, experimentation, unrestricted thinking, making and developing--by yourself and in collaboration with others--are basic elements of all forms of learning and living together. In the current educational system these values are regularly overshadowed by rules, legislation, bureaucracy, a unitary approach, and little attention to the intrinsic inquisitiveness of both the student and the teacher. No School is a growing movement that together with the creative field wants to provide space for experiment, flexibility, cooperation, 'wild' thinking, looking ahead; experimenting off the beaten track with different forms of learning, in which creativity is the key concept. (shrink)

La integración de la tecnología en el ámbito del derecho penal plantea desafíos significativos debido a la falta de regulación de la inteligencia artificial (IA), lo que podría comprometer los derechos fundamentales. Este estudio se centra en abordar estos desafíos y proponer soluciones mediante un análisis exhaustivo de la situación actual y las posibles implicaciones de la IA en el sistema jurídico penal. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar los problemas, desafíos y oportunidades que surgen con la implementación (...) de la inteligencia artificial en el ámbito penal. Se busca identificar la necesidad de una regulación específica para la IA en el derecho penal, con el fin de proteger los derechos fundamentales de las personas y garantizar un sistema jurídico justo y equitativo. Para abordar esta problemática, se adoptó un enfoque metodológico cualitativo. Se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica detallada para examinar los antecedentes, problemas y desafíos asociados con la IA en los sistemas jurídicos, especialmente en el ámbito penal. Además, se realizaron análisis de criterios y opiniones de expertos en derecho para obtener una comprensión más profunda de la situación y las posibles soluciones. Los resultados de este estudio revelan la necesidad urgente de establecer una normativa específica para regular la aplicación de la inteligencia artificial en el ámbito penal. Se destaca que la falta de regulación representa un riesgo significativo para los derechos fundamentales, especialmente en lo que respecta a la configuración de delitos con el apoyo de la IA. Además, se identifican diferentes dimensiones que deben abordarse en la regulación, incluyendo principios y reglas básicas del derecho, supervisión humana de los sistemas de IA y la promoción de la innovación responsable en este campo. Este artículo subraya la importancia de establecer una regulación efectiva para la inteligencia artificial en el ámbito penal. Esta regulación no solo protegerá los derechos fundamentales de las personas, sino que también promoverá un uso responsable y progresivo de la IA como una herramienta valiosa para los profesionales del derecho. Es crucial que la regulación sea integral y adaptable para garantizar un sistema jurídico justo y equitativo en la era digital. (shrink)

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in organizations has fundamentally changed from performing routine tasks to supervising human employees. While prior studies focused on normative perceptions of such AI supervisors, employees’ behavioral reactions towards them remained largely unexplored. We draw from theories on AI aversion and appreciation to tackle the ambiguity within this field and investigate if and why employees might adhere to unethical instructions either from a human or an AI supervisor. In addition, we identify employee characteristics affecting this (...) relationship. To inform this debate, we conducted four experiments (total N = 1701) and used two state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms (causal forest and transformers). We consistently find that employees adhere less to unethical instructions from an AI than a human supervisor. Further, individual characteristics such as the tendency to comply without dissent or age constitute important boundary conditions. In addition, Study 1 identified that the perceived mind of the supervisors serves as an explanatory mechanism. We generate further insights on this mediator via experimental manipulations in two pre-registered studies by manipulating mind between two AI (Study 2) and two human supervisors (Study 3). In (pre-registered) Study 4, we replicate the resistance to unethical instructions from AI supervisors in an incentivized experimental setting. Our research generates insights into the ‘black box’ of human behavior toward AI supervisors, particularly in the moral domain, and showcases how organizational researchers can use machine learning methods as powerful tools to complement experimental research for the generation of more fine-grained insights. (shrink)

La relación existente entre el Estado y los ciudadanos remonta épocas antiguas, donde se le exigía la contribución para el pago de los gastos de la monarquía, con el desarrollo del hombre moderno nace la Relación Jurídica Tributaria, donde esta representa la personificación tanto de la potestad de imposición como del deber de contribución, mejor conocidos y aceptados como Sujeto Activo y Sujeto Pasivo, a través de las distintas acepciones, en tal sentido se analiza esta relación a la luz del (...) ordenamiento jurídico venezolano, enmarcada en una investigación de tipo documental, mediante la observación directa y aplicándola hermenéutica jurídica y teniendo como bases fundamentales la Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela (Asamblea Nacional Constituyente, 1999), Código Orgánico Tributario (Asamblea Nacional, 2001), jurisprudencia patria y de la doctrina tanto nacional como extranjera, se determinó en esta investigación la génesis de la Relación Jurídica Tributaria a través de los actores intervinientes, Sujeto activo, Sujeto Pasivo en sus distintas posiciones, contribuyente solidario, contribuyente Responsable, de igual forma la Relación Jurídica Tributaria desencuentra fundamentada en el hecho imponible, siendo esta la raíz de la tributación a cualquier nivel, bien sean impuestos, tasas o contribuciones. Igualmente la base imponible, significa representación monetaria del hecho imponible la cual será objeto de un tratamiento fiscal para una determinación de un tributo a pagar. (shrink)

The aim of this research was to explore the elements that configure the quality of care among three Mexican same-sex planned families: two female-parented families (through donor insemination) and a male-parented one (through adoption). The first family consisted of two mothers and a 3-year-old daughter; the second one had two mothers and a 1.5-year-old set of boy twins and the third family consisted of two fathers and a 2-year-old girl. It was assumed that Ainsworth’s notions of quality of care organization (...) are useful in order to understand caregiver-child attachment relationships, regardless of the parents’ sexual orientation. A collective case study was selected due to the fact that these families shared their “unconventionality” (i.e. parents were not heterosexual) and the fact that they were planned, but each one constituted a particular case with a unique configuration. Four trained independent observers used the q-sort methodology (Maternal Behavior Q-Sort and Attachment Q-Sort) to describe parents’ and children’s behavior, respectively. The findings showed that parents were highly sensitive and all children used them as a secure base. To provide an in-depth examination of which elements configure the quality of care, a semi-structured interview with each parent was carried out. Through a thematic analysis, an over-arching theme named Affections and Emotions was identified, together with six subthemes: 1) Creating an affective environment; 2) Being available; 3) Acknowledging and expressing emotions; 4) Perceiving, interpreting and responding adequately to the child’s real self; 5) Taking the child’s perspective into account; and 6) Agreeing on roles and dividing the tasks. In order to showcase the particular configuration of gay parenting, the male-headed family narrative is reported in detail, because gay parents have been perceived as violating traditional gender roles as well as the hegemonic model of masculinity. The findings were consistent with the notion of quality of care as proposed by Ainsworth and her collaborators. The implications of the methodological device and research regarding same-sex planned families are discussed so as to understand the organization of the caregiving environment. (shrink)

Aim: The presence of noise in urban environments is rarely considered a factor that causes damage to the environment. The primary generating source is transportation means, with vehicles being the ones that affect cities the most. Traffic noise has a particular influence on the quality of life of those who are exposed to it and can cause health alterations ranging from annoyance to cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to describe the relationship between the traffic noise level and the perceived annoyance (...) in the inhabitants of a city on the Northern Border of Mexico. The work carried out in a city represents the vulnerability characteristics: economic, social, and migratory of its sizable portion of the inhabitants. Due to that, it is impossible to identify precisely the number of residents as the number of vehicles in circulation.Methods: The streets and avenues with an annual average daily traffic of more than 1,000 vehicles were considered for the measurement of traffic noise. The equipment used was a vehicle gauge with non-invasive speed radar; type I integrating sound level meters, with their respective gauges and tripods. A questionnaire was applied to people living within 250 m of the streets and avenues in which the noise was measured.Results: The noise measurement found a parameter of LAeq estimated for 12 h during the day, exceeding 70 dBA. The data received from the questionnaire were statistically tested by using Pearson's correlation tests. A total number of 2,350 people were participated, of whom 1,378 were women and 972 were men. The age of participants is ranged from 18 to 75 years. The overall perception of traffic noise annoyance identified that 1,131 participants responded “Yes” as they considered the noise annoying. Participants who responded “No” as well as those who responded “Do not know” resulted in a total of 1,219 people.Conclusion: The results show that the population is desensitized to traffic noise and does not perceive it as an annoyance. The flow of vehicles and the type of vehicles are the significant factors for the propagation and increase in the traffic noise levels. Women present a considerable appreciation of traffic noise perception instead of younger people who demonstrate a higher tolerance to high-level exposure. This reflects the lack of information of the population around the noise problem and its effects. (shrink)

Informed consent is an essential step in helping patients be aware of consequences of their treatment decisions. With surgery, it is vitally important for patients to understand the risks and benefits of the procedure and decide accordingly. We explored whether a written IC form was provided to patients; whether they read and signed it; whether they communicated orally with the physician; whether these communications influenced patient decisions. Adult postsurgical patients in nine general hospitals of Italy’s Campania Region were interviewed via (...) a structured questionnaire between the second and seventh day after the surgery at the end of the first surgical follow up visit. Physicians who were independent from the surgical team administered the questionnaire. The written IC form was given to 84.5% of those interviewed. All recipients of the form signed it, either personally or through a delegate; however, 13.9% did not know/remember having done so; 51.8% said that they read it thoroughly. Of those who reported to have read it, 90.9% judged it to be clear. Of those receiving the written consent form, 52.0% had gotten it the day before the surgery at the earliest 41.1% received it some hours or immediately before the procedure. The written IC form was explained to 65.6% of the patients, and 93.9% of them received further oral information that deemed understandable. Most attention was given to the diagnosis and the type of surgical procedure, which was communicated respectively to 92.8 and 88.2% of the patients. Almost one in two patients believed that the information provided some emotional relief, while 23.2% experienced increased anxiety. Younger patients and patients with higher levels of education were more likely to read the written IC form. The written IC form is not sufficient in assuring patients and making them fully aware of choices they made for their health; pre-operative information that was delivered orally better served the patients’ needs. To improve the quality of communication we suggest enhancing physicians’ communication skills and for them to use structured conversation to ensure that individuals are completely informed before undergoing their procedures. (shrink)