[Opinion about clinical ethics consultation among intensivist physicians]

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Critical Care Medicine
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Clinical ethics consultation services lack standardized evaluation methods.
• Chile has limited formal systems for individual clinical ethics consultation, despite a ten-year registry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess intensivist physicians' perceptions of clinical ethics consultation's contribution.
• To gather data on the perceived impact of ethics consultations in critical care settings.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire was distributed to 38 intensivist physicians.
• Data was collected from 28 responding professionals regarding their opinions on ethics consultations.

Main Results:

• 84% of respondents believe ethics consultations improve patient care quality.
• 92% find it aids decisions on treatment limitations and life support.
• 96% view it as positive support for patients and families; 72% reported enhanced ethical sensibility and reduced decision-making stress.

Conclusions:

• Clinical ethics consultation is a valuable support for enhancing clinical decision-making.
• This service positively impacts the overall quality of patient care.