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Is there a future for clinical ethics services in Australia?
I H Kerridge1, J Savulescu, P A Komesaroff
1Clinical Unit in Ethics and Health Law, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, NSW. ikkerrig@mail.newcastle.edu.au
The Medical Journal of Australia
|October 6, 2001
Summary
Clinical ethics services assist healthcare professionals in managing complex patient care dilemmas. These multidisciplinary services help identify, understand, and resolve ethical issues, especially when communication breaks down.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Medical Ethics
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Clinical ethics addresses ethical dilemmas in patient care.
- Healthcare professionals are skilled in managing routine ethical issues.
- Certain clinical settings benefit from specialized ethics support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role and impact of clinical ethics services.
- To identify how these services can enhance patient care.
- To understand the diverse forms and functions of ethics support.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on clinical ethics services.
- Analysis of different models of ethics support (committees, consultants, advocates).
- Examination of challenges in implementing and operating ethics services.
Main Results:
- Clinical ethics services can improve identification and management of ethical issues.
- These services are particularly valuable in cases of moral conflict or poor communication.
- Various structures exist for ethics services, including committees and consultants.
- Disagreements persist regarding the optimal structure and function of these services.
Conclusions:
- Multidisciplinary clinical ethics services can significantly support clinicians, patients, and others.
- Effective ethics services facilitate communication and resolution of complex ethical challenges.
- Further consensus is needed on the governance and decision-making roles of clinical ethics services.
Keywords:
Professional Patient Relationship