Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

The Application of Standards and Recommendations to Clinical Ethics Consultation in Practice: An Evaluation at German Hospitals

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Science and Engineering Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The executive board of the Academy for Ethics in Medicine (AEM) and two AEM working groups formulated standards and recommendations for clinical ethics consultation in 2010, 2011, and 2013. These guidelines comply with the international standards like those set by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. There is no empirical data available yet that could indicate whether these standards and recommendations have been implemented in German hospitals. This desideratum is addressed in the present study. We contacted 1.858 German hospitals between September 2013 and January 2014. A follow-up survey was conducted between October 2014 and January 2015. The data of the initial survey and the follow-up survey were merged and evaluated. The statements of the participants were compared with the standards and recommendations. The standards of the AEM concerning the tasks of clinical ethics consultation (including ethics consultation, ethics training and the establishment of policy guidelines) are employed by a majority of participants of the study. Almost all of these participants document their consultation activities by means of protocols or entries in the patient file. There are deviations from the recommendations of the AEM working groups regarding the drafting of statutes, activity reports, and financial support. The activities of clinical ethics consultation predominantly comply with the standards of the AEM and recommendations for the documentation. The recommendations for evaluation should be improved in practice. This applies particularly for activity reports in order to evaluate the activities. Internal evaluation could take place accordingly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  • AEM, Vorstand der Akademie für Ethik in der Medizin e.V. (2010). Standards für Ethikberatung in Einrichtungen des Gesundheitswesens. Ethik in der Medizin, 22, 149–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andereck, W. S., McGaughey, J. W., & Jonsen, A. R. (2012). The clinical ethics consultant: verifying the qualifications of a new type of practitioner in a community hospital. Journal of Healthcare Management/American College of Healthcare Executives, 57(4), 264–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • ASBH, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. (2011). Core competencies for healthcare ethics consultation (2nd ed.). Glenview: ASBH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörries, A., & Hespe-Jungesblut, K. (2007). Die Implementierung Klinischer Ethikberatung in Deutschland. Ergebnisse einer bundesweiten Umfrage bei Krankenhäusern. Ethik in der Medizin, 19, 148–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahr, U., Herrmann, B., May, A. T., Reinhardt-Gilmour, A., & Winkler, E. C. (2011). Empfehlungen für die Dokumentation von Ethik-Fallberatungen. Ethik in der Medizin, 23, 155–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flicker, L. S., Rose, S. L., Eves, M. M., Flamm, A. L., Sanghani, R., & Smith, M. L. (2014). Developing and testing a checklist to enhance quality in clinical ethics consultation. The Journal of Clinical Ethics, 25(4), 281–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, E., Myers, S., & Pearlman, R. A. (2007). Ethics consultation in United States hospitals: A national survey. American Journal of Bioethics, 7, 13–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hester, D. M., & Schonfeld, T. (2012). Introduction to healthcare ethics committees. In D. M. Hester & T. Schonfeld (Eds.), Guidance for healthcare ethics committees (pp. 1–8). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kinlaw, K. (2012). The healthcare ethics committee as educator. In D. M. Hester & T. Schonfeld (Eds.), Guidance for healthcare ethics committees (pp. 155–163). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Neitzke, G., Riedel, A., Brombacher, L., Heinemann, W., & Herrmann, B. (2015). Empfehlungen zur Erstellung von Ethikleitlinien in Einrichtungen des Gesundheitswesens. Ethik in der Medizin, 27, 241–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neitzke, G., Riedel, A., Dinges, S., Fahr, U., & May, A. T. (2013). Empfehlungen zur Evaluation von Ethikberatung in Einrichtungen des Gesundheitswesens. Ethik in der Medizin, 25, 149–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsi, K. (2012). Education as prevention. In D. M. Hester & T. Schonfeld (Eds.), Guidance for healthcare ethics committees (pp. 164–171). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pfäfflin, M., Kobert, K., & Reiter-Theil, S. (2009). Evaluating clinical ethics consultation. A European perspective. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 18(4), 406–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, L. W., & Reicherter, D. (Eds.). (2015). Professionalism and ethics in medicine. A study guide for physicians and physicians-in-training. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schochow, M., Schnell, D., & Steger, F. (2015). Implementation of clinical ethics consultation in German hospitals. Science and Engineering Ethics. doi:10.1007/s11948-015-9709-2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinkamp, N. (2012). Methoden ethischer Entscheidung im Pflegealltag. In S. Monteverde (Ed.), Handbuch Pflegeethik. Ethisch denken und handeln in den Praxisfeldern der Pflege (pp. 175–192). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarzian, A. J., Wocial, L. D., & The ASBH Clinical Ethics Consultation Affairs Committee. (2015). A code of ethics for health care ethics consultants. Journey to the present and implications for the field. The American Journal of Bioethics, 15, 38–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasson, K., Parsi, K., McCarthy, M., Siddall, V. J., & Kuczewski, M. (2015). Developing an evaluation tool for assessing clinical ethics consultation skills in simulation based education: The ACES project. HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum, 28, 103–113.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin, Universität Ulm, Parkstraße 11, 89073, Ulm, Germany

    Maximilian Schochow, Giovanni Rubeis & Florian Steger

Authors
  1. Maximilian Schochow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni Rubeis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Florian Steger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maximilian Schochow.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schochow, M., Rubeis, G. & Steger, F. The Application of Standards and Recommendations to Clinical Ethics Consultation in Practice: An Evaluation at German Hospitals. Sci Eng Ethics 23, 793–799 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-016-9805-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-016-9805-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation