Improving hospital ethics committees: testing an educational model

Overall, the project described in this paper appears to represent a considerable success in the field of postsecondary education, moving from the identification of a population with special educational needs to the implementation of a well-received program in a two year period. The extensive curriculum developed for the project seems to have been appreciated by participants and, in the case of relatively new members, to have improved their readiness to participate in committee work. Even in the case of more experienced HEC members, participation may have had significant, if unmeasureable, benefits. As one experienced HEC member noted, "It was a very stimulating, challenging, exhausting week and one I would recommend to others." These sentiments were echoed by another experienced participant who indicated that, "In the brochure the seminar looked like it might turn out to be the 'same old thing,' but it turned out to be a challenge and a chance to go home and begin again at a 'higher level'." Beyond its immediate benefits to individual participants, the project has led to the completion of 21 participant papers on procedural and bioethical issues, and the founding of a new journal for HEC members in which they will be published (HEC Forum, Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York). For the project faculty, the challenge ahead will be not only to respond to participant concerns, but to adapt the curriculum for presentation "on site" at hospitals across the country. While the move from formal demonstration to full-scale implementation will allow new flexibility, care must be taken to ensure that any changes do not sacrifice the program's clearly documented strengths.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)