If you
are unsure about choosing the best treatment for yourself or a family member, or
if you need help in resolving a disagreement about patient care, a consultation
with the Ethics Consultation Service is available.
The Ethics Consultation Service (ECS)is provided by the Medical Ethics Advisory Committee to assist patients,
families, surrogates, health care providers or other parties in addressing
uncertainty or conflict regarding ethical issues that emerge in healthcare.
When ethical questions arise or when support is needed in
making difficult choices, any patient, family
member or guardian, health professional or others with a legitimate interest in
a patient is encouraged to request the assistance of an ethics consultation. This
service is provided by UAMS at no charge.
This is an advisory service. The options presented by
the consultation service are neither institutionally nor legally binding. The ECS follows a strict
confidentiality code in its consultation process. For more on the kind of
help the ECS can provide,
click here.
Please dial
pager #501-405-8134. This number is answered from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
∞
Please call the hospital
operator 686-7000 for an
emergency consultation
What Happens When A Consult is Requested
∞
The
person requesting the consult will be contacted by the ECS.
The requestors name can be kept confidential.
∞
An ECS member reviews
each request to see what type of consultation is best suited to a particular
situation. Frequently a family meeting is held
to clarify concerns, questions or goals of care. The
consultant does not judge the quality of patient care or make
decisions. They help to facilitate a discussion of the situation
and clarify the issues from an ethical perspective. (For
detailed procedures click here.)
Ethics Consultation Services Definitions
Conversation
A verbal exchange of
ideas and opinions regarding a problem or area of interest that does not
meet the requirements of or qualify as a ethics consultation.
For more on ethics
consultations, see below. For
more on
ethics conversations, click here.
Consultation
A
formal process conducted by the lead consultant that includes all involved
parties as deemed appropriate. For more about the consultation process,
click here.
Consultant
A
trained member of the ECS qualified to participate in an ethics
consultation
Lead Consultant
A member of the ECS
designated to take and respond to calls
∞
If you have a question about an
ethical problem or our service and would like a personal reply,
please click here.
s in a consult
number.
Clinical
Ethics Consults are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Ward or clinic supervisors will help if a problem in access
arises.
service member will return the call. Time sensitive situations will
receive immediate attention.
If
someone other than the patient and/or the patient's attending physician
initiated the request, the patient and/or the attending physician are
notified that a consult has been requested.
The ESC member will review the request to see what type of consultation is
best suited to a particular situation; a conversation or a
consultation.
The ECS do not judge the quality of patient care or make decisions.
They help to facilitate a discussion of the situation and clarify the issues
from an ethical perspective.
The