Proposing a set of ethical guidelines for Iranian physiotherapists: results of a modified Delphi technique

The code of ethical conduct for physiotherapy services must be compatible with the local culture. The ethical guidelines proposed here were developed through a literature review, focus group discussions, and finally a modified Delphi technique to achieve consensus after the data were analysed. At first, the collection of different ethical codes yielded 132 items. In the second stage, repetitive items were discarded, some new items were added, and the various codes were categorised into three domains. Overall, 175 items were considered in the Delphi stage. Subsequently, the items were reduced to 134 in total – 59 in the treatment domain, 41 in research, and 34 in the education domain. The resulting code of ethics will support patients, researchers, students, and teachers in the field of physical therapy with sensitivity to current Iranian legislation and culture.