Ethics Consultation

A very important topic from the leaders in the field. -- Bernard Lo, University of California, San Francisco and author of Resolving Ethical Dilemmas This book is an important and welcome addition to the scholarship in the field. Addressing the current state and future direction of ethics consultation, it offers a thoughtful overview of some of the most important issues currently debated, from foundational theoretical questions to more practical strategic concerns. It makes a substantial contribution to the literature and will certainly be widely read and referenced. -- Susan B. Rubin, Ph.D., co-founder of The Ethics Practice and Chair of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Clinical Ethics Task Force

In this work, bioethicists and physicians provide an in-depth approach to the issues involved in bioethics consultation. Addressing the needs of researchers, clinicians and other health professionals, they focus primarily on practical concerns but do not neglect theoretical considerations.In the clinical setting, questions of medical ethics raise a host of perplexing problems, often complicated by conflicting perspectives and the need to make immediate decisions. In this volume, bioethicists and physicians provide a nuanced, in-depth approach to the difficult issues involved in bioethics consultation. Addressing the needs of researchers, clinicians, and other health professionals on the front lines of bioethics practice, the contributors focus primarily on practical concerns-whether ethics consultation is best done by individuals, teams, or committees; how an ethics consult service should be structured; the need for institutional support; and techniques and programs for educating and training staff-without neglecting more theoretical considerations, such as the importance of character or the viability of organizational ethics.