For this Discussion, Please Read Chapter 4 on the Healthcare Ethics Committee, and Answer the Following Questions:

What is the purpose of the ethics committee?

Question 1:

Discuss the functions of an ethics committee.

Make sure you start with the introduction and an explanation of what the ethics committee is.

Discuss the purpose and the functions.

Think about why you are choosing certain functions.

Have you had a personal experience or work experience with the ethics committee?

Seek outside sources when necessary. Please provide links to your sources, or provide a citation.

PLEASE RESPOND TO BOTH OF THESE POST:

RESPOND:

During the 1960s, an Ethics committee was formed in the United States, with the following individuals medical, nonmedical individuals apart from the hospital staff, consisting of physicians, nurses, administrators, and patient advocates (Prozgar, 2020). In contrast, the group also consists of those within the community; for instance, clergy, legal counsel, such as lawyers, are beneficial for any discrepancies. Having an ethics committee is essential, and every individual must understand; since they play a critical role in their medical decision-making process. 

An ethics committee’s primary focus is enhancing the patient-physician relationship while supporting any medical decision being contemplated. According to our textbook, a patient’s needs, interests, and rights are a top priority for an ethics committee (Prozgar, 2020). Implementation of the ethics committee gives patients the ability to receive the correct information and their wishes recognized for their health care.  Concerning themselves with issues establish mortality, patient autonomy, state, and legislative interest; hence, provide ethic committees an ability to assist in situations they are required. Furthermore, ethics committees must respect the privacy of every party that may be involved in a crisis. 

Ethics committees have many different functions; for instance, they provide areas where the Ethics committee can discuss ethical and moral issues regarding individuals’ medical care. Another role is educating a patient on their rights and what is expected from medical staff and faculty taking care of them. The ethics committee’s implementation serves numerous beneficial qualities; for instance, they serve as audience members and support medical staff, families, and even patients if issues arise. It also provides help cleaning up any information not comprehended during a patient’s hospital visit or stay. (Pozgar, 2020). Another function of the committee is it provides information to patients regarding how the patients can reach their medical staff and the issues they may be able to help when a patient is first admitted into a hospital or medical facility. Finally, the ethics committee is also in charge of creating and assisting in policy and procedure guidelines to resolve ethical and moral dilemmas; also assisting with case reviews and consultations with patients or caregivers about moral or ethical issues. 

Personally I have experience with the ethics committee, I had brain surgery about 6 years ago and had a night terror the night of the brain surgery, and my dad had told me that it had been okay, and I had no idea who he had been. While the doctors and nurses had come in and said that I might have been dealing with trauma from the surgery and a potential overdose of a medication, which my parents hadn’t been pleased with, so the individuals were spoken to by their supervisors, but that’s all I remember. 

Question of the week: How do you think committee members deal with their own ethical or moral dilemmas?

RESPOND:

 Ethics committee oversees in making sure that the medical research, participants/human subjects, experiments follow thru the ethical manner inline of the rules and policies. The committee was first introduced in United States in the year 1960 focused the care of “Quinlan case” (Pozgar,2020). In 1976 the parents of Quinlan were granted to have the permission from the New Jersey Supreme Court that Karen Quinlan’s ventilator to be removed after a year being in a coma. The ethics committee delivered a continues progress in developing guideline procedures, rules and policies.

According to the book “A healthcare ethics committee is an advisory body whose purpose is to facilitate discussion and consultation on ethical issues arising in the patient care setting” (Pozgar,2020). It is important for the ethical comities to attain their purpose in the organization to identify the needs of the patient or participant base in their principles and interest to offer and deliver improved patient care. The ethics committee functions are making decisions, advocate what path of actions needed, give recommendations to be able to evaluate cases to come up with final decision. I chose this function of the ethic committee because every situation or cases needs to have this system to be able to analyze the situation properly and to be present reasonable outcome. I don’t have any experienced with the ethics committee but in my opinion, they play a vital role in the organization and society. 

Chapter 4
Healthcare Ethics Committee

As you read Chapter 4, please take the time to think of the many ethical issues that medical professionals, patients, and families face each day.

Learning Objectives
Describe the function and purpose of ethics committees.
Describe the structure and goals of ethics committees.
Explain the consultation process of ethics committees.
Describe the expanding role of ethics committees.
Discuss why the resolution of ethical dilemmas is no easy task.

Ethics Committees
A healthcare ethics committee is an advisory body whose purpose is to facilitate discussion and consultation on ethical issues arising in the patient care setting.

Committee Composition
Ethicist
Educator
Caregiver
Legal advisor
Political leader
Religious leader
Corporate leader

Committee Goals (1 or 3)
Provide a forum for review and discussion of ethical and moral issues relative to patient care.
Provide information to patients as to the functioning of the ethics committee and how to access the committee at the time of admission.
Serve as support and resource for hospital staff, families, and patients.

Committee Goals (2 of 3)
Provide consultation, as requested, when there are conflicts in care options.
Provide assistance in clarifying situations that are ethical, legal, or religious in nature that extend beyond the scope of daily practice.
Clarify issues and discuss alternatives to ethical dilemmas.

Committee Goals (3 of 3)
Assist the patient and family in coming to consensus with the options that best meet the patient’s care needs.
Review cases for educational purposes.
Enhance the ethical tenor of both the hospital and healthcare professionals.
Promote patient rights.

Committee Functions
Develop policies and procedures
Education
Consultation and conflict resolution
Review ethics committee’s effectiveness

Education (1 of 3)
Ethics committee members
Community
Patients and family
Staff
Ambulatory care facilities
Home health agencies
Long-term care facilities
Physician office practices

Education (2 of 3)
Recognize time commitment.
Include training in philosophy, religion, medicine, and law.
Include formal training and experience in clinical ethics.
Develop and distribute appropriate materials for committee members, caregivers, patients, and family.

Education (3 of 3)
Promote patient rights
Right to self-determination (autonomy)
Accept or reject care and treatment
Right to ethics committee consultation

Consultation and Conflict Resolution
Requests for committee consultations
Provide guidance, not decisions
Strive to achieve consensus when addressing care dilemmas

Requests for Consultation (1 of 2)
Clarification of issues
Determining decision-making capacity
Informed consent
Advance directives
Withdrawal of treatment
Should be conducted in a timely manner

Requests for Consultation (2 of 2)
Who may request a consultation?
Patient
Family member
Staff
Physician

Conducting a Consultation
Identify the dilemma.
Identify relevant facts.
Identify stakeholders.
Identify moral issues.
Identify legal issues.
Conduct consultation.

Expanding Role of Ethics Committees:
Internal Issues
Dilemma of blind drug trials
Informed consent
Privacy and confidentiality

Expanding Role of Ethics Committees: External Issues
Does the ethics committee have a role in addressing questionable reimbursement schemes?
Should an ethics committee have its own letterhead? What value would this serve?
What role, if any, should an ethics committee play in the following scenario?

Convening the Ethics Committee
Rules to follow:
Serve as a resource when there are no clear choices.
Be sensitive to patient’s and family’s values.
Search for the best path to conflict resolution.
Assist the family in reaching consensus.
Educate and guide the process without personal biases.

Facing Ethical Dilemmas: Guidelines
Diagnose before you prescribe.
If not sure what to do, discuss the dilemma with other committee members.
Do not impose your beliefs on others.
Help guide others to make choices.
Ask the patient how you might help.

Resolution of Ethical Dilemmas
Perplexing task.
Ethics committee member must be prepared to understand the challenge by actively participating in the decision-making process without bias.

Desirable Traits of Ethics
Committee Members (1 of 2)
Accept the patient’s wishes.
Accept the dialogue of committee members with varying beliefs.
Help the ethics committee seek a morally acceptable resolution to an ethical dilemma.
Do not be being fearful to seek clarification of issues and ask questions.

Desirable Traits of Ethics
Committee Members (2 of 2)
Contribute to making consultations meaningful and not argumentative.
Allow compassion to outweigh the need to be right.
The ultimate decision is not the committee members to make.
Provide guidance, consultation, and education.

Case: Patient Refuses Blood
Should the physician refuse to treat this patient? Explain your answer.
Should the family have a right to override the patient’s decision to refuse blood? Explain your answer.

Case: A Son’s Guilt, Father’s Wishes
Discuss the ethical dilemmas in this case.
Discuss the issues and the role of the ethics committee in this case.

Review Questions
What is the purpose of an ethics committee?
Discuss the functions of an ethics committee.
Explain the consultative role of the ethics committee.
Discuss the educational role of the ethics committee.

Discuss the ever-expanding role of ethics committees, including internal operational issues and external influences that affect internal operations.
Discuss what ethics members should take into consideration when addressing ethical dilemmas.
Review Questions

Remember To Refer To The Syllabus For All Assignment Due Dates.