IntegratedEthics(R)Program as an Example of Systemic Approach to Ethical Issues in Health Care Facilities
Abstract
The paper gives an overview of the IntegratedEthics(R) Program as a systemic approach to dealing with ethical issues encountered daily in the work of health care facilities. It was developed by the National Center for Ethics in Health Care of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
The program, in addition to offering well structured consultations of individual cases ('ethics consultation'), also entails systemic implementation of ethics at the level of individual health care facilities ('preventive ethics'). An important role is also to be played by the 'ethical leadership' exercised by the health care facilities managers.
The program may provide interesting inspirations for dealing with ethical problems in health care facilities outside USA, including those in (Central and Eastern) Europe.