From ethics to palliative care: a community hospital experience.
One of the most vulnerable and voiceless groups of patients within American hospitals and institutions today are those who are dying. Health care institutions struggle with the challenge of providing excellent palliative and end-of-life care to patients while providing curative therapies at the same time. This article describes the efforts and accomplishments of the ethics committee of a community hospital system to provide for the palliative and end-of-life needs of its patients.
Robley
Lois R
LR
Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics, and Character, Kennesaw State University, Mailbox 5500, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA. lrobley@kennesaw.edu
D016223:Advance Directives; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017041:Ethics Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D017144:Focus Groups; D005845:Georgia; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data