Building an Organizational Ethics Program on a Clinical Ethics Foundation.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Bioethics
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Organizational ethics programs address value tensions identified through clinical ethics consultations.
• Clinical ethicists have core competencies for leading these programs but require additional skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To guide clinical ethicists in developing and leading organizational ethics programs.
• To highlight necessary skill development and strategic approaches for program implementation.

Main Methods:

• Suggests incremental program development via quality improvement projects.
• Emphasizes collaboration with senior clinical and organizational leaders.
• Recommends understanding differences between clinical and organizational ethics programs.

Main Results:

• Clinical ethicists need expertise in healthcare delivery science, financing, and quality improvement.
• Successful program development requires forging new partnerships across the organization.
• Programs must be designed to align leadership decisions with organizational values.

Conclusions:

• Clinical ethicists can effectively lead organizational ethics programs with strategic skill development and collaboration.
• Incremental implementation using quality improvement methodologies is recommended.
• Focusing on institutional needs assessments ensures program advocacy and value alignment.