Table 1 Description of the Bioethics Unit’s activities and aims
Activity | Promoted by | Dedicated to | Description of the activity | Aim |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RESEARCH | All the BU members or other services and wards | Other services and wards | Development, implementation and evaluation of research projects related to ethical issues of clinical practice, employing qualitative and quantitative research | To promote ethical reflections and knowledge among HPs, especially regarding the following topics: patient engagement and shared decision-making, advance care planning (ACP), Advance Directives (AD), end-of-life issues and palliative care, pediatric palliative care, and ethics of resource allocation |
ETHICS CONSULTATION | Only the Head of the BU | Individual HPs or healthcare teams, especially in urgent circumstances | Provision of retrospective and prospective ethics consultation by a single, face-to-face consultation | To support HPs in resolving ethical conflicts or deal with the complex decision-making process |
ETHICS SUPERVISION | Only the Head of the BU | Healthcare teams, during their regular meetings | Provision of structured ethical supervision during the care team meetings | If ethical aspects emerge, the Head of the BU participates in the discussion, supporting HPs to focus on the ethical dimension of care and deal with emerging moral complexities |
EDUCATION AND TRAINING | All the BU members | Single wards on a specific request, or all HPs | Implementation and provision of training programs and ethics education by face-to-face and experiential classes | To promote ethical reflections and knowledge among HPs, especially regarding the following topics: patient engagement and shared decision-making, advance care planning (ACP), Advance Directives (AD), end-of-life issues and palliative care, pediatric palliative care, and ethics of resource allocation |