Tertiary Healthcare Ethics Consultation: Enhancing Access to Expertise.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Healthcare ethics consultation (HCE) is crucial for complex ethical dilemmas.
• Tertiary HCE consultation involves senior experts guiding facility-based consultants.
• Existing models for tertiary HCE support are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the advantages and challenges of a hub-and-spoke model for tertiary HCE consultation.
• To outline the operational aspects of a national integrated HCE service providing tertiary support.
• To inform the development and implementation of advanced HCE consultation services.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive analysis of a hub-and-spoke tertiary HCE consultation model.
• Qualitative assessment of experiences from a national integrated HCE service.
• Review of consultation requests and feedback within the tertiary HCE framework.

Main Results:

• The hub-and-spoke model facilitates access to specialized HCE expertise.
• Advantages include enhanced mentorship, broader knowledge sharing, and improved consistency.
• Challenges involve logistical coordination, communication barriers, and potential delays.

Conclusions:

• Tertiary HCE consultation via a hub-and-spoke model is feasible and beneficial.
• Effective implementation requires robust infrastructure and clear communication protocols.
• This model can strengthen ethical decision-making capacity in healthcare facilities.