Corporate ethical decision making in health care institutions

The health care environment in which ethical decisions are made is changing rapidly. Ultimately, these changes may produce a more effective health care system. However, they also create new ethical dilemmas and greater complexity in ethical decision making. To clarify the problems of ethical decision making in health care institutions, and to define some guidelines for making these decisions, Ross Laboratories convened a roundtable of ethicists, attorneys, and health care practitioners, including physicians, nurses, and dietitians. The roundtable was chaired by Monsignor Charles Fahey of Fordham University's Third Age Center, who reflected on the discussions and, in this issue of Hospital Administration Currents, shares his thoughts on the issues of ethical decision making by corporate health care entities.