An ethics expertise for clinical ethics consultation

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Medical Ethics
• Philosophy of Medicine

Background:

• Clinical ethics consultation's legitimacy is often linked to moral expertise.
• Moral expertise faces significant critiques, potentially undermining clinical ethics consultation.
• There is a need to re-evaluate the foundation of clinical ethics consultation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address critiques questioning the legitimacy of clinical ethics consultation.
• To propose an alternative framework for understanding the expertise of clinical ethicists.
• To establish a basis for teaching and assessing clinical ethics expertise.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of critiques directed at moral expertise.
• Conceptual distinction between "moral expertise" and "ethics expertise".
• Argumentation for the viability and justification of "ethics expertise" in clinical settings.

Main Results:

• "Ethics expertise" offers a way to circumvent common critiques of moral expertise.
• "Ethics expertise" accurately reflects the justifiable scope of clinical ethics consultants' roles.
• "Ethics expertise" identifies a subject matter suitable for formal education and evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The concept of "ethics expertise" provides a stronger foundation for clinical ethics consultation.
• This framework supports the professionalization and standardization of clinical ethics practice.
• Clinical ethics consultation can be considered legitimate based on "ethics expertise".