Ética, bioética y derecho: límites legales en la práctica médica contemporánea

The integration of ethics, bioethics, and law represents one of the most critical challenges facing modern healthcare systems, particularly in regions undergoing legal, technological, and social transitions. This study aimed to assess the degree of ethical and legal compliance within healthcare institutions in Ecuador, Mexico, and Colombia, focusing on informed consent, data protection, ethics committee functioning, and institutional accountability. A cross-sectional and descriptive design was conducted with 612 healthcare professionals and ethics committee members from the three countries. Data were collected through structured questionnaires addressing key domains of ethical governance, and statistical analyses included descriptive measures and cross-country comparisons to identify compliance patterns and institutional differences. The findings revealed moderate-to-high overall compliance (67%) with significant variability across domains. The strongest adherence was observed in ethics committee oversight and informed consent documentation, while internal auditing, transparency, and accountability mechanisms showed weaker implementation. Only 54% of institutions reported having formal corrective systems, and fewer than half published annual ethics or compliance reports. Despite the existence of advanced legal frameworks such as Ecuador’s Ley Orgánica de Protección de Datos Personales (2021), practical enforcement remains partial and inconsistent. These results indicate that formal ethical structures are in place but often operate reactively rather than proactively. True ethical maturity requires moving beyond procedural compliance toward sustained moral commitment, transparency, and continuous professional education. This study proposes the development of a regional model of integrated ethical governance that aligns law and moral philosophy to strengthen human dignity, professional accountability, and justice in healthcare practice across Latin America.