INTRODUCTION: The hospital, as a unique type of social organization requires elevated values for management. This paper shows the result of a documental, qualitative, exploratory and descriptive survey about hospitals and their value statements. OBJECTIVE: Identify values expected for hospitals by a search of literature; identify values expressed by hospitals on their web pages and compare results of both. METHODS: Critical reading of theses, books and articles. A bibliographic search was carried out on BVS (Health Virtual Library) using keywords such as ethics and healthcare management. The values stated by hospitals on web pages were found in sections such as social responsibility, mission, view, principles, and our values. The categories care, healthcare management and accountability were defined after content analysis of empirical data. RESULTS: Values stated by hospitals on web pages express social expectations for an organization that deals with issues as elevated as health and life. Although hospitals have a bureaucratic and organizational structure that resembles those of business enterprises, they are different due to their `duties to patients' rights and life. Healthcare managers, as well as health professionals, must imprint an ethical attitude on their job and daily work. Only such an attitude will permit patients to trust the hospital and its services.
Institutional ethics; Hospital administration; Health care sector; Social responsibility; Bioethics
