Clinical Ethics Resources

Clinical Ethics at St. Joseph’s Health Care London

At St. Joseph's there is a full-time clinical ethicist on staff. A clinical ethicist is a person who has the education and training to help patients, families, Substitute Decision Makers, health care providers, or other involved parties address uncertainty or conflict regarding value-laden issues that emerge in health care. A clinical ethicist does not make decisions, but rather acts as a resource to the decision makers in any given situation. At each site, there is also a team of people knowledgeable about ethics and available to help as needed.

In striving for excellence in care, education and research, Clinical Ethics plays a critical, collaborative and facilitative role. Ethical practice requires us to listen openly, participate in respectful dialogue and work toward innovative solutions to ethical problems.

What Resources does Clinical Ethics offer?

• Assistance with the identification and discernment of ethical issues
• The provision of ethics consultation services
• Ethics education for teams, units and programs, as well as for the community we serve
• Help with development of policies which have ethical implications
• Assistance with ethical issues related to biomedical research with human subjects and research in clinical ethics
• Organizational Ethics resources

The plan for Clinical Ethics was developed within the context of the Mission, Vision and Values of St. Joseph's Health Care London within which we serve with: Respect, Excellence and Compassion.