Should competent patients or their families be notified before HECs review the patients' cases? Yes.
In summary, it is, I believe, fairly uncontroversial that a patient always should be notified before a bioethics committee reviews the case. Respect for a patient"s confidentiality and autonomy also require that patients be asked prior to being interviewed or identifying the patient's name in a committee meeting. Permission is not required for an anonymous discussion of the case with a bioethics committee.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15260.
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Arnold
D003219:Confidentiality; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D030881:Disclosure; D026724:Ethical Review; D017041:Ethics Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D028741:Ethics Committees, Clinical; D033061:Ethics Consultation; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007872:Legal Guardians; D016743:Mental Competency; D026706:Paternalism; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012945:Social Values; D014481:United States