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An ethics consultation service in a teaching hospital. Utilization and evaluation.
- Source :
-
JAMA [JAMA] 1988 Aug 12; Vol. 260 (6), pp. 808-11. - Publication Year :
- 1988
-
Abstract
- A newly established formal ethics consultation service in a university teaching hospital was prospectively evaluated. A physician-ethicist interviewed and examined patients, interviewed family and others as needed, and entered a formal consultation note in the medical record. The requesting physician and the consultant independently completed structured questionnaires. Fifty-one consultation requests were received from 45 physicians from seven departments between July 1, 1986, and June 30, 1987. Seventeen (33%) of 51 patients were in the intensive care unit, and 19 patients (37%) were fully oriented at the time of consultation. Overall, 61% of the patients survived to leave the hospital. The requesting physician sought assistance with withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in 49% of cases, with resuscitation issues in 37%, and with legal issues in 31%. Assistance with more than one issue was sought in 39 cases (76%). In 36 cases (71%), the requesting physician stated that the consultation was "very important" in patient management, in clarifying ethical issues, or in learning about medical ethics. We conclude that ethics consultation performed by physician-ethicists provides useful, clinically acceptable assistance in a teaching hospital.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Chicago
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Family
Female
Hospitals, University
Humans
Life Support Care
Male
Patient Participation
Patient Selection
Prospective Studies
Resuscitation
Withholding Treatment
Bioethical Issues
Bioethics
Ethicists
Ethics Consultation
Referral and Consultation statistics & numerical data
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0098-7484
- Volume :
- 260
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- JAMA
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 3392812