About Hospital Ethics Committee (HEC)
Function
To achieve our goal, the Committee makes use of ethics education, case discussion and consultation, policy review and development, and other appropriate interventions, and focuses on considerate and respectful decision-making that accords with fundamental precepts of health care ethics and human rights.
The Committee shall perform the following functions:
- Provide for the education of the medical staff and other hospital personnel;
- Provide a discussion forum for the review of ethical and moral issues relative to the care of patients;
- Serve as an advisory board on the formulation of policies and/or guidelines dealing with ethical issues;
- Serve as a resource for the medical staff, nursing and allied health staff, patients and/or families in dealing with ethical questions related to hospitalization and treatment.
Meetings
The full Committee meets monthly. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson on his/her initiative.
Confidentiality of Information
Information considered by the Committee shall be confidential, and shall not be used in any way except as provided herein or as required by law. Any information or case study developed for use by the Committee shall not be required to become part of any patient's medical record. The Committee shall not make entries into a patient's medical record.
Privacy
The Committee will endeavor to ensure that patients and/or their families whose care or concerns are being discussed by the Committee, have been notified prior to discussion; if this is not possible or appropriate, every effort will be made to avoid disclosure of the patient's identity.
Provisions for Periodic Review
An overall review of this Committee will be conducted annually to determine if the Committee is accomplishing its goals. This review may be a self study or an external review.
