Ethics Consultation

Providence Health Care's Ethics Services provides an important Ethics Consultation Service to assist clinicians, organizational leaders, and policy makers in clinical situations involving ethical concerns.

Ethics consultations seek to:

• Bring clarity as a response to ethical questions as appropriate, legal questions.
• Assist in understanding ethical terms and concepts.
• Identify and help balance various, sometimes conflicting,interests in a particular case.
• Assist in developing and evaluating a care plan.
• Assist in identifying choices that will lead to the fulfillment of the organization's missions and values.

An ethics consult may be helpful for a range of issues:

• Addressing discrepancies between clinical judgement and the wishes of patients or their surrogates.
• Interpreting patient wishes or advance directives.
• Discerning patient wishes or interests when there is no clear advance directive.
• Clarifying who the decision-makers are.
• Determining the extent of patient confidentiality.
• Respecting patient confidentiality.
• Resolving tensions related to religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds.

To request a consultation, please call (604) 806-8851 or (604) 806-9952.