Consultations Available for the Most Difficult of Patient Care Decisions
Ethics consultations can be used when there is an unresolved issue in a patient’s care, and the issue involves questions of values. Ethics consultations are available to nurses or physicians at BWH and can be requested to help clarify a difficult patient situation by answering the following questions:
• “How do we know when the difficulties of treatment may be outweighing the benefits?”
• “How do we honor the patient’s wishes when their capacity to make decisions weakens?”
• “What should we do when different members of the health care team have different goals for treatment?”
In an ethics consultation, a member of the BWH Ethics Committee talks with the patient care team, the patient and family to facilitate a discussion about the identified issues. The Ethics Committee member does not make final decisions, but rather helps the caregivers, patient and family arrive at a mutually accepted decision.
To request an ethics consultation, call the Ethics Service at ext. 8590.
—Submitted by Martha Jurchak, RN, PhD