SERVICES OFFERED


THE ETHICS PRACTICE OFFERS A WIDE ARRAY OF SERVICES TO HELP YOU MAINTAIN A QUALITY, COST- EFFECTIVE ETHICS PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ORGANIZATION'S GOALS AND OPERATIONS

ASSESSMENT:











STRATEGIC INTERVENTION:



CLINICAL PRACTICE



































ETHICS COMMITTEES
































LEADERSHIP TEAMS

FOCUSING ON CURRENT STATUS, PERCEPTIONS, PRACTICES, KNOWLEDGE BASE, SKILLS, AND NEEDS

USING SURVEYS, TARGETED INTERVIEWS, OBSERVATIONS, CHART REVIEWS

ENGAGING ETHICS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL STAFF, AND LEADERSHIP

REPEATED ANNUALLY AND AS NEEDED



DESIGNING TARGETED INTERVENTIONS TO CREATE AND SUPPORT BEST PRACTICES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONGOING EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT


IN-DEPTH REVIEW, ANALYSIS, AND REVISION OF CURRENT CLINICAL AND ETHICS RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

PREVENTIVE ETHICS INITIATIVES
  • Development of tools for more consistently incorporating ethical considerations in treatment discussions/decisions
  • Identification of ethics quality gaps 
  • Development of FAQ tools addressing common concerns e.g:
    • Strategies for clarifying patient values, goals, and preferences
    • Timely and accurate identification of surrogate decision makers
    • Achieving meaningful informed consent in patient encounters
    • Families overriding patients’ previously stated wishes
    • Decision making for incapacitated unrepresented patients
    • The two physician signature myth
    • 
Constructive approaches to “intractable” futility conflicts
    • The “non-compliant” patient 
    • Ethics and pain management

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH 
  • Targeted ethics rounds 

  • Quarterly ethics grand rounds 

  • Departmental meetings/in-services
  • Resident/other student education
  • Educational webinars/conference calls
  • Hospital/medical staff newsletter ethics columns
  • Web-based ethics resources
  • New employee orientations
  • Educational materials/offerings for the patient population and broader community



FACILITATE KEEPING ETHICS RESOURCES ON THE RADAR FOR HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
  • (Re)establish credibility, visibility, and accessibility 

  • Build capabilities 

  • Improve quality/performance

REVIEW AND UPDATE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
  • Revise bylaws/protocols as necessary

  • Modify membership as necessary  

  • Modify meeting  regularity and content as necessary  

  • Revise committee brochures as necessary  

  • Identify ways of increasing committee visibility/accessibility  

  • Establish referral intake and consultation log mechanisms  


  • Refine intake and consultation methods 

  • Guide, support, and facilitate intakes and case consultations  

  • Establish evaluation mechanisms and methods  

  • Clarify and foster relationship of ethics with other hospital resources (risk, compliance, med-legal, quality, palliative care, social work, chaplaincy, etc)

COMMITTEE EDUCATION
  • Design and facilitate ongoing committee education 

  • Provide intensive intake and consultation education/trainings  

  • Design and facilitate annual skills building retreat for committee


REVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION/CORE VALUES AND EXISTING STRUCTURES FOR INCORPORATING ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN HIGH LEVEL DECISION MAKING

IDENTIFICATION OF CORE ETHICAL ISSUES/CHALLENGES

ASSIST WITH ACCREDITATION AND LICENSING PREPARATIONS AND READINESS

ASSIST WITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESSES

ETHICAL ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION SUPPORT ON AN ISSUE BY ISSUE BASIS

ADDITIONAL SERVICES  TAILORED TO SPECIFIC CLIENT NEEDS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST