Principles of Bioethics through the Lens of the Uzbek National Mentality: An Exploratory Survey of Online Respondents

Introduction — Bioethics provides the normative foundations for contemporary medical practice; however, the interpretation and application of its core principles (confidentiality, truth-telling, and informed consent) are largely determined by context. Although these principles are widely recognized as universal ethical imperatives, their practical application often reflects cultural values, religious traditions, and sociopolitical frameworks. Objective — This study examines how three fundamental principles of bioethics are understood and applied in the sociocultural context of Uzbekistan, with particular attention to the relationship between individual patient autonomy and collective or familial responsibility. Methods — An online survey conducted among 684 respondents recruited via Telegram, VKontakte, and Facebook [This social network belongs to Meta*, a company designated as an extremist organization and banned in the Russian Federation] platforms examined various aspects of attitudes toward confidentiality, truth-telling, and informed consent. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to summarize the distribution of responses and examine culturally determined patterns in the respondent sample. Results — The majority of respondents (65.9%) supported conditional disclosure of medical information, 17.4% insisted on absolute confidentiality, and 13.8% expressed trust in the professional discretion of doctors. Regarding truth-telling, 41.3% preferred selective disclosure of information taking into account cultural and emotional factors, while 30.4% emphasized complete transparency. Informed consent was highly valued: respondents prioritized information about risks and potential complications (67.6%), treatment goals and expected outcomes (64.8%), as well as economic aspects such as cost and duration of treatment (58.1%). Family involvement in medical decision-making prevailed (65.2%), highlighting the influence of collectivist traditions. Conclusion — The results show that although confidentiality, truth-telling, and informed consent are widely recognized as universal ethical norms, their practical implementation in Uzbekistan is shaped by culturally determined tradeoffs between individual autonomy and collective responsibility. Strengthening bioethical practice in such a context requires not only compliance with international standards but also the development of culturally sensitive communication strategies and institutional policies. These findings should be read as exploratory, context-specific patterns of ethical perception in a non-probability online sample, not as population-level estimates for Uzbekistan as a whole.