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J Med Ethics 2001;27:i21-i23 doi:10.1136/jme.27.suppl_1.i21

The Freiburg approach to ethics consultation: process, outcome and competencies

  1. Stella Reiter-Theil
  1. University Hospital, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg

      Abstract

      The paper describes how ethics consultation can be valuable to health professionals, patients and their families in understanding and evaluating ethical values and their consequences in a particular situation. Ethics consultation as it is practised at the university hospital of Freiburg is a special professional service offered by members of an academic institution.

      The practical approach and the goals are illustrated by a case study showing the difficulties of deciding about the limitation of intensive care medicine after heart surgery in the setting of maximum treatment. Here, the ethics consultation was initiated by the relatives of the patient who wanted a decision to withhold further life-sustaining treatment.

      Following the experiences in Freiburg, it is concluded that clinical ethicists have to cover a variety of relevant fields of knowledge, need special analytical skills, and should have professional competence in counselling, including conflict mediation or crisis intervention.

      Footnotes

      • Stella Reiter-Theil, Privatdozentin, PhD, Dipl-Psych, is a Medical Ethicist, Research Coordinator of the Center for Ethics and Law in Medicine (ZERM), and Senior Lecturer in Medical Ethics in the Medical Faculty of Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.

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