Dealing with ethical concerns

DEALING WITH ETHICAL CONCERNS - ETHICS COMMITTEE

If I or my family members disagree among ourselves or with the healthcare team regarding elements of my care, what acton can I take?

Sometmes patents, families, and staf have very difcult choices to make. They may face moral dilemmas and may need to review ethical questons and concerns. Doctors and families each have the best interests of the patent at heart.

However, sometmes patents or family members may difer with each other or with doctors in how they see and understand the patent’s illness and optons for treatment or care. An Ethics Commitee consultaton may prove helpful at tmes of such disagreement. An independent review of the case focusing on ethical issues can serve to clarify maters for everyone involved. The role of the Ethics Commitee is to support families and healthcare staf in the resoluton of ethical issues that may occur in the course of hospitalizaton or other care provided by the Turks and Caicos Islands

Hospital. The Commitee reviews the specifc, individual patent-care situatons and dilemmas. Afer the review, the Commitee will provide an opinion about the situaton from an ethical point of view. The consultaton process aims to assist all those involved in having an open discussion about the patent’s care. The outcome of the consultaton is an honest and thoughtul recommendaton to the patent, family and medical team.

All involved members of the health care team, as well as the patent and family, are invited to atend the meetng, if possible. Decisions resultng from the consultaton are advisory and are not insttutonally or legally binding.

HOW TO ACCESS THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

Patents, family members or other involved persons, all have the right to request an Ethics consultaton. They can do so by speaking with the Nurse Supervisor on duty. Be sure to provide a contact phone number and/or email, as well as the name and locaton of the patent involved. Once a request is made, the consultaton will occur within a few days. An emergency consultaton will take place as soon as possible, within 24 hours.