In healthcare, ethical dilemmas arise regularly, which leaves patients and their families unsure of the best course of action. This is where ethics committees come in. Ethics committees are a diverse group of individuals that include hospital administrators, nurses, physicians, patient advocates, legal counselors, and clergy members. The committee members are not there to make any decisions, but to provide information and advice to allow patients to make well educated decisions that are best for them (Pozgar, p.129).
The level of involvement from ethics committees depends greatly on the particular facility and the request of the patient. Additional functions of ethics committees involve creating guidelines and policies to help better assist patients and their families when dealing with ethical dilemmas (Pozgar, p.130).
Ethics Committees Policies
- Request for Consultation – Available 24 hours a day. This allows patients access to consultations with legal counselors or hospital administrators (Pozgar, p.130)
- Confidentiality of Information –Conversations between patients, family or advocates are able to remain private. An exception to this policy would be based on the particular hospital policy or as required by law. An example being recording notes in a patient’s medical record (p.131).
- Annual Review of Ethics Committees –To ensure that the ethics committees’ actions are effective and are reaching a predetermined goal, yearly reviews are conducted (p.131).
- Education – Ensures that committee members, staff, and the public are aware of ethical policies. When individuals are more informed, it creates confidence between committee members and the patients (p.131).
- Consultation and Conflict Resolution – When patients have numerous questions regarding choices in their health care, this policy is used. The committee is there to provide choices for the situation at hand, allowing the patient to make informed decisions (p.131).
There are times when health care is not black and white. On top of dealing with their overall health, the patient and their family try to decide on the best option. Rather than sorting through the options alone, ethic committees are available to help provide necessary resources. The counseling, education, and advice make them a vital aspect of any healthcare facility.
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