Abstract

Since the 1960s, Bioethics, Law and Deontology have become increasingly integrated into healthcare education in response to the growing ethical, legal and professional complexity of clinical practice. This national cross-sectional comparative study aimed to investigate the presence and structural characteristics of Bioethics, Law and Deontology teaching in Greek undergraduate Medical, Dental and Nursing curricula. Online study guides and syllabi for the academic year 2024–2025 from all Greek public Medical (n = 7), Dental (n = 2) and Nursing (n = 9) Departments were systematically reviewed. Data regarding course presence, type, semester allocation, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation (ECTS) credits and teaching hours were extracted and analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Courses related to Bioethics, Law and Deontology were identified in 17 of 18 Departments (94.4%). The mean teaching hours per Department were 37.4, with Nursing Departments demonstrating higher teaching loads. However, 50% of Departments reported fewer teaching hours than the minimum proposed by the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum. Considerable heterogeneity was observed regarding course structure and curricular integration. These findings suggest the need for greater curricular harmonization and strengthened Bioethics, Law and Deontology education in Greek undergraduate healthcare training.

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