The health ethics network of oregon: A model to enhance healthcare ethics committee collaboration

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 650 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0956-2737
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00058015

✦ Synopsis

of such institutions had a HEC (7). As individual committees have struggled with difficult ethical issues, communication has naturally occurred among HECs (5). The early reasons for contacting another HEC included sharing of educational resources and "do-not-resuscitate" policies, or asking advice about a difficult patient problem. Communication among HECs will most likely increase in the future, given that all hospitals will soon be required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to have an ethics resource.

The first reported organized groups of HECs began in 1986 (8). This and subsequent networks included members from both acute and long-term care institutions, and generally developed from a specific need of the community that was difficult to address by a single institution. For example, the Santa Rosa Long-Term Care Cooperative Bioethics Forum developed in response to the use of artificial nutrition and hydration for a resident of a skilled nursing facility (9). The lack of state guidelines for this clinical situation stimulated discussions among eight institutions that later created a 17-page document regarding this issue. During the last five years, other networks have reported their experience in addressing similar community ethics issues (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Numerous other networks are in various stages of development, but have not reported their experience. The Table lists existing networks by year of formation and source of funding. These networks were identified by searching the literature, through personal communication with The Hastings Center, and by communicating with the leader of each network. Other organizations that may perform a networking function, but are not specifically identified as a network, were not included.

HEC networks appear to have different organization and functions. Some networks are formally organized with bylaws and a written description of goals and structure, and have invited participation for a membership fee (10)(14). A few networking projects have been substantially funded by agencies outside the institution (5)(12)(13). However, most network members do not have monetary support from their institutions, and the networks presently appear to be associations of these interested individuals without formal organization. Although communication is the key function, the activities of networks vary, depending on the needs of the membership. Dr. Todd Sagin indicated that the survival of these groups is dependent on "developing a network that adequately defines and provides for the needs of its members" (15).