Ethics committees in Catholic hospitals. A new study assesses their role, impact, and future in CHA-member hospitals

The role, effectiveness, and even existence of hospital ethics committees (HECs) are not universally agreed upon. Over the past 20 years, the study of HECs has focused mainly on their structure, scope, and function, making the results more descriptive than anything. In an effort to present study results that could help HECs better serve the needs of their organizations, the authors of this article recently set out to survey HEC chairs at CHA-member hospitals, asking questions about four key areas: 1) primary functions of an HEC, 2) selection criteria of HEC members, 3) strategies for success, and 4) the importance of HEC member training. The results of this survey provide some important food for thought.