Table 1 Different ethics support services
From: Hospital ethics reflection groups: a learning and development resource for clinical practice
| Â | CEC | Ethics consultation | ERG/ MCD |
|---|---|---|---|
How does it work? | A standing committee, deliberation on specific cases or more overall ethical questions asked by the healthcare organizations, clinicians and patients or relatives | An individual or a small team visiting a ward routinely or on request to deliberate on specific ethical challenges from everyday life experienced by clinicians | Collaborative interdisciplinary groups deliberating on specific ethical challenges from clinical practice experienced by clinicians |
How is it organized? | Within a hospital trust or more hospitals in a region | Can be an ethics consultant employed by the hospital or a permanent body, e.g. CECs | Within one or across more hospital wards or clinical units |
Who facilitates? | Ethicists or sometimes a clinician trained as a facilitator | Ethicists or sometimes a clinician trained as a facilitator | A clinician trained as an ethics facilitator |
Who participates? | Physicians, nurses, ethicists, lawyers, clergy and community representatives, and sometimes patients/relatives | Clinicians in the ward or the clinical unit | Clinicians in the ward or the clinical unit |