Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Professions: Decision-Making in Uncertain Scenarios

Dear Colleagues, 

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue “Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Professions: Decision-Making in Uncertain Scenarios” in Healthcare. Ethical decision-making is a cornerstone of clinical practice, yet healthcare professionals are increasingly confronted with complex, ambiguous situations where clear-cut answers are absent. From rapidly evolving medical technologies to emergencies such as pandemics and end-of-life care dilemmas, these scenarios demand not only scientific competence but also ethical clarity and integrity. 

This Special Issue aims to explore the ethical dimensions of decision-making within healthcare, especially under conditions of uncertainty. It aligns with Healthcare’s scope by addressing interdisciplinary and practical challenges in delivering responsible, equitable, and person-centered care. Contributions may examine how healthcare workers navigate moral conflict, institutional constraints, cultural expectations, and patient autonomy when clear evidence or consensus is lacking. 

In this Special Issue, original research articles, case studies, and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: clinical ethics, bioethics education, moral distress, AI and digital ethics in care, triage protocols, and decision-making frameworks in uncertain or crisis contexts. 

We look forward to hearing from you.

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Rodriguez-Martin
Guest Editor

Dr. Pablo A. Cantero Garlito
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.