Structure and function of patients' rights ethics committees and informal ethics committees
| Patients' rights ethics committees | Informal ethics committees | |
|---|---|---|
| DK=Don't know, PREC=Patients' Rights ethics committee. | ||
| N | 10 | 4 |
| Year started | 8 in 1997, 1998, 1999 | 1987, 1995, 1995, 1996 |
| Structure | ||
| Number of members | 5 set by law (with 5–6 alternates) | 16, 9, 6, 6 |
| % Female | 45% | 35% |
| % Non-Jewish | 5% | 3% |
| Public representative | Required by law | 75% |
| Staff support | 100% | 50% |
| Budget support | 0% | 0% |
| Confidential proceedings | 100% | 75% |
| Signed assurance | 0% | 0% |
| Protected from legal liability | 40% | 75% |
| Function | ||
| Member education | 80% | 75% |
| Studied Patients' Rights Act | 80% | 75% |
| Regularly scheduled meetings | 0% | 50% |
| Activities | ||
| Prospective consultation | Required by law | 100% |
| Retrospective consultation | 20% | 75% |
| Develop policy | 0% | 50% |
| Educate hospital staff | 0% | 75% |
| Educate community | 0% | 25% |
| Consultation | ||
| Requestor may be: | ||
| Any provider or patient | 60% | 75% |
| Only physician | 0% | 25% |
| Don't know | 40% | 0% |
| Patient informed of consult | 80% yes; 20% sometimes | 50% yes; 25% no; 25% DK |
| Report of consult produced | 100% | 50% |
| Placed in patient's chart | 50% yes; 20% no; 30% DK | 25% yes; 75% no |
| Compulsory or Advisory | 100% Compulsory by law | 100% advisory |
| Handles PREC content cases | N/A | 25% yes; 50% no; 25% DK |
| Number of consultations | ||
| Total | 0, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 15, 21 | 10, 15, 25, 60 |
| Past 12 months | 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 10 | 2, 3, 5, 10 |