A Clinical Ethics Committee is a multi-disciplinary group of professionals, including healthcare providers, ethicists, lawyers, and community members, convened to provide guidance and assistance in resolving ethical dilemmas and issues that arise in clinical practice. The committee serves as an advisory body, offering moral and ethical insights from diverse perspectives to clinicians, patients, and their families.
The primary objective of a Clinical Ethics Committee is to ensure that ethical principles and values are upheld in healthcare decision-making while promoting patient-centered care. They play a vital role in facilitating open and transparent discussions, fostering ethical reflection, and providing recommendations or suggestions on complex ethical cases. The committee is responsible for evaluating the ethical challenges faced by healthcare providers, patients, or their families, and deliberating on the most appropriate course of action.
Clinical Ethics Committees may be involved in various scenarios, such as withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, allocating limited resources, protecting vulnerable populations, addressing conflicts between healthcare providers and patients/families, or addressing issues related to informed consent.
These committees are often guided by established ethical frameworks and principles, such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Their recommendations are based on a thorough analysis of the ethical dimensions of the case, taking into consideration legal, cultural, and societal aspects. Clinical Ethics Committees aim to promote ethical decision-making, enhance patient satisfaction, and ensure quality care delivery that aligns with ethical standards and values.
