Ethics Committee - UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital

Have you ever had to make a decision, but you weren't sure what the right choice was? Have you ever been in a situation that just didn't seem right? Perhaps someone was suggesting something, but your gut was telling you something else. An ethical dilemma is what happens when someone isn't sure what the right thing to do is. Healthcare is complex. Sometimes the best choice isn't clear.

An ethics consultation is appropriate when you need perspective or support in finding a good way forward.

Examples of ethical dilemmas are:

•  Does the benefit outweigh the risk of a certain plan or procedure?
• What is the best healthcare choice for me or my loved one?
• How do we decide on a plan for someone who can't speak for themselves?
• What should we do if family members disagree about how to best care for their loved one?

Have you ever thought you knew what the right thing to do was - but weren't able to do it? Sometimes we cannot do what we feel we should do because of external factors - economic, legal, social, or other. This can be a very distressing situation and would be an appropriate reason to consult the Ethics Committee.

Examples of moral distress:

• What if my realistic treatment options feel upsetting?
• Something feels “off,” and I want to talk about the reasons why.
• If only X would happen, this whole thing would be so much easier…

An ethics consultation can help you and your family figure out what decision is right for you. The consultant will listen to your questions and concerns. They will explore your situation from multiple perspectives and talk through your options. They will make recommendations, but you and your health care team will make the final decision.

Ethics consultants also help staff by helping identify and clarify the ethical dilemma, providing perspective, and giving you access to our expertise in managing these difficult situations.

Patients, family members, or any member of the healthcare team can ask to talk to an ethics consultant.

When you call the consultant, they will talk to you about your concerns and help you figure out the next steps. Sometimes, that conversation is enough to decide what to do. Other times, more discussion is needed. The consultant may decide that an ethics consult meeting with more members of the ethics committee will help. This meeting may also include other people who are important in your healthcare decisions, such as your health care team and your family. At an ethics consult meeting:

• An ethics consultant will facilitate the meeting.
• Ethics Committee members, the healthcare team, the patient, and/or the family will talk about the ethical concerns and possible solutions.
• The ethics consultant will make sure each person has a chance to speak and be heard.
• The Ethics Committee will make recommendations.
• The patient and their health care team will make the final decision. This may happen after the meeting.
• We will continue to be a resource and provide support going forward, as needed. A follow-up discussion or meeting may be planned.

The Ethics Committee also provides ethics education to the UnityPoint Health – Meriter community and beyond.

• The Ethics Committee sponsors an ethics conference each spring and fall.
• The Ethics Committee also provides trainings and webinars to Meriter staff on ethics issues, related to new developments in healthcare law, technology and cultural issues involving healthcare.
• The Clinical Ethicist is also available to partner with you in researching specific issues in clinical care.

The Ethics Committee is available to review department policies of individual departments, on request. It also provides regular input and review on certain policies/

Contact the Ethics Committee if you or your department have specific needs for policy review.