Related Experiment Videos
Paediatrics at the cutting edge: do we need clinical ethics committees?
V F Larcher1, B Lask, J M McCarthy
1Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London.
Journal of Medical Ethics
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Hospital clinical ethics committees are needed as ethical dilemmas arise frequently but are resolved informally. Staff desire a forum for consultation, guidance, and education on medical ethics.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Healthcare Management
- Pediatric Healthcare
Background:
- Ethical dilemmas are common in pediatric healthcare settings.
- Current resolution processes for ethical issues may be unstructured.
- There is a need for formal ethical support and education for healthcare staff.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the frequency of ethical dilemmas in children's hospitals.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of current ethical dilemma resolution processes.
- To determine the need for hospital clinical ethics committees and staff training in medical ethics.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams.
- Quantitative questionnaires administered to randomly selected staff.
- Study conducted in two major London children's hospitals.
Main Results:
- Ethical dilemmas occurred frequently, involving consent, child participation, futile treatments, and resource allocation.
- Resolution of these dilemmas was often unstructured.
- Staff reported a need for a dedicated ethics forum for consultation, guideline development, and education.
Conclusions:
- Multidisciplinary clinical ethics committees are valuable for UK clinical practice.
- These committees should have advisory, practice development, and educational roles.
- Such committees could benefit other countries lacking formal hospital ethics structures.