Ethical Considerations Within the ESPGHAN Community

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
• Medical Ethics
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Limited data exists on ethical issues encountered by members of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).
• The ESPGHAN Ethics Committee (EC) provides guidance to its members on ethical matters.
• Understanding member needs is crucial for effective EC support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current function of the ESPGHAN Ethics Committee.
• To identify the primary reasons ESPGHAN members consult the EC.
• To analyze the ethical issues most relevant to pediatric gastroenterology professionals in Europe.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to ESPGHAN members across 24 countries.
• One hundred and five participants completed the questionnaire.
• Data on consultation reasons and alternative consultation sources were collected.

Main Results:

• 35.7% of participants consulted the EC for clinical practice and patient-related issues.
• 21.4% consulted the EC for human research ethics questions.
• 66.3% consulted their hospital's EC, and 17.4% consulted expert colleagues for ethical concerns.

Conclusions:

• The ESPGHAN EC is utilized for both clinical and research-related ethical queries.
• Members frequently seek ethical guidance from institutional ethics committees and peers.
• This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of ethical issues relevant to ESPGHAN members in Europe.