Korean J Med Ethics.  2015 Dec;18(4):376-392.

A Study of the Role, Constitution, and Management of Hospital Ethics Committees

• KIM SD

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to inquire into the role, constitution, and practical management of hospital ethics committees (HECs). HECs have been established to provide guidance on the ethical dilemmas physicians confront in clinical practice. While HECs carry out collective decision-making based on procedural fairness, how is procedural fairness guaranteed? Three questions can and should be raised concerning HECs: a) What exactly is the role of HECs? B) How should HECs be constituted? c) How should HECs be managed? This article addresses these questions from a philosophical point of view and argues that HEC must involve ethical experts. Furthermore, this article offers a reasonable and ethical model for HECs, the so-called “Ethics Consultation Team,” and identifies the main role of HECs as providing ethical consultation in concrete cases.

Keyword

hospital ethics committees (HECs); procedural fairness; ethical dilemmas; constitution of HECs; case consultation