Clinical ethics consultants competencies repertoire: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Ethics
• Professional Competencies
• Clinical Consultation

Background:

• Healthcare systems face increasing complexity and moral challenges.
• Clinical Ethics Consultants (CECs) provide crucial support to professionals, patients, and families.
• Clear professional standards are needed for CECs to ensure qualified and rigorous support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define technical-professional and transversal competencies for Clinical Ethics Consultants (CECs).
• To establish a national repertoire of competencies for CECs in Italy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive approach using "Interview to the Double" and Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA).
• Twenty-four Italian CECs participated, with interviews continuing until data saturation.
• HTA was used to map interview data into hierarchical competencies.

Main Results:

• Identified 10 technical-professional and 12 transversal competencies.
• These competencies encompass 87 and 110 tasks, respectively.
• Competencies are organized into 9 activity areas and 22 learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The national repertoire standardizes and clarifies CEC practice, supporting certification and training.
• It enhances the visibility, scientific legitimacy, and professionalization of CECs.
• Ensures ethical consultations are conducted with responsibility, rigor, and ethical grounding.