Ethics in Practice

From Bedside to Boardroom

Challenges in 21st Century Health Care

2014 February 21

William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education

Program Overview

This conference offered new perspectives in understanding and addressing common ethical dilemmas encountered in the daily practice of medicine. Some of these dilemmas arise within the clinical context such as the decision to withdraw or continue life-sustaining treatment, communication of a grim prognosis weighed against a desire to preserve hope, or patient refusal of proposed discharge options. Others that are products of the U.S. healthcare system leave hospital administrators and clinicians alike wrestling with how to provide costly treatment for the indigent and uninsured. Through plenary presentations, case studies, panel discussions and small group sessions, participants explored strategies for identifying, preventing and resolving these complex ethical challenges.

Objectives

Examine common ethical dilemmas that complicate medical decision-making at the bedside.
Explore how institutional challenges in serving poor and underserved patients can lead to ethical challenges at the bedside.
Provide communication and decision strategies for use in resolving these ethically complex situations.
Introduce resources for statewide networking and dialogue around contemporary issues in clinical ethics.