Are Ethics Committees Alive and Well?

Abstract

Issues addressed at an April 1983 conference sponsored by the American Society of Law and Medicine on "Institutional Ethics Committees: Their Role in Medical Decision Making" are reviewed. John Robertson delineated three possible committee models and advocated the establishment in all hospitals of at least an "optional-optional" committee to serve an educational function and to be available for review of specific cases. The notion of the hospital as a "moral community" was met with skepticism. George Annas considered such altruism to be "naive," but he also noted the potential role of institutional ethics committees in prepaid health plans where there may be "major conflicts with patients' rights." Robert Veatch considered the ethics committee's role to be counseling or consulting. Potential problems identified by the conferees included policies regarding privacy of proceedings, when and for what reasons committees should be convened, and funding. (KIE abstract)