S14. Critical Care Medicine: Hospital Ethics Committee

Abstract

Although the Hippocratic Oath set ethical standards for the practice of medicine in the late fifth century BC, the systematic implementation of bioethics is a recent phenomenon. In the United States, bioethics emerged in response to scandal and uncertainty, and JCAHO mandated the formation of hospital ethics committees (HEC) in 1992. For the critical care physician, the HEC can prove an invaluable resource, helping to balance the role of cutting-edge technology with a patient and society’s values. Critical care medicine is the lifeblood of bioethics. This talk will address the history of the HEC, its value, and use to the critical care physician, practical approaches, and intrinsic flaws of the system. For instance, currently, JCAHO does not stipulate the qualifications for HEC membership. Methods: 1. Literature search. 2. Interviews with critical care physicians and members of the HEC at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY. 3. Project supervision by Dr. David Kaufman, surgical intensive care unit director at the University of Rochester Medical Center.