Table 1 Selection of outcomes of CESS as investigated in evaluation studies
Domain of outcome | Endpoint(s) |
|---|---|
Duration of treatment | Days of receiving nutrition/hydration/ventilation |
Length of stay | |
Time to/until complete of ethics intervention | |
Education | Education of professionals/family/patients |
Satisfaction with education | |
Usefulness for learning from a difficult cast | |
Hospital costs | Hospital costs |
Impact on clinical practice | Agreement with reached decision |
Usefulness to create agreement/improve cooperation/share responsibility | |
Consultation resulting in consequences | |
Changes in treatment plan | |
Consensus reached | |
Likelihood to request again/recommend ethics intervention | |
Mortality | Mortality |
Quality of ethics consultant | Explain legal issues |
Identify key issues and options in care | |
Support participants | |
Perceived role of the ethicist | |
Satisfaction and helpfulness (consultation) | Clearness of the advice |
Informativeness | |
Supportiveness | |
Stressfulness | |
Fairness | |
Helpfulness in analyzing/identifying/resolving/clarifying ethical issue | |
Helpfulness with improving communication/mediating disputes/providing emotional support | |
Respectfulness of the patients/healthcare providers values | |
Usefulness of being better equipped to deal with such cases/clarifying values at risk | |
Satisfaction as perceived by patient/family member/surrogates/healthcare providers | |
Satisfaction and helpfulness (treatment) | Satisfaction as perceived by patient/family member/surrogates/healthcare providers |
Helpfulness with medical treatment | |
Overall effectiveness of the ethics service’s involvement in the case | |
Usefulness for getting support/in reaching better ethical decision/for broader discussion/getting advice/getting external perspective |