Ethics Consultation

Tricky enough in theory or in the classroom, questions of medical ethics in a clinical context raise a whole host of their own perplexing problems, often complicated by conflicting perspectives and a pressing practical need to make a decision right away. The real and immediate needs of researchers, clinicians, and consultants are at the heart of this volume, which offers a nuanced, in-depth approach to the difficult issues involved in bioethics consultation. Responding to questions and controversies confronted by the Task Force on Standards for Bioethics Consultation of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, the authors 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. Even when the volume takes a theoretical turn–as in considering a proper approach to ethics consultation, the importance of character, or the prospects for organizational ethics–the discussion is aimed at the ''real world'' practice of ethics consultation. Accordingly, this book will prove both interesting and profoundly useful to a broad spectrum of the bioethics community, ranging from academic bioethicists to health professionals on the frontlines of bioethics practice.