Clinical ethics committee

Advances in modern medical knowledge entail clinical choices involving legal, moral and ethical issues that can be complex.  Professionals, users and families are therefore faced with situations that require clarification and assistance from several disciplines.  The Clinical Ethics Committee supervises the contribution of all these disciplines, with respect for the rights and responsibilities of each one.

The Clinical Ethics Committee addresses issues of clinical practice and care, through its functions of analysis, recommendation, information and education.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

The Clinical Ethics Committee relies on certain fundamental principles, including respect for human dignity and integrity.  The committee thus recognizes the essential right of persons to make their own decisions concerning their life, based on informed choices.

The Clinical Ethics Committee considers users in their totality.

MEMBERS OF THE CLINICAL ETHICS COMMITTEE

The Clinical Ethics Committee members are chosen for their specific expertise and their interest in clinical ethics.  They do not represent any particular group or professional discipline.

The members of the committee are:

Dr Karabatsos – Daniel Hébert – Gilbert Daoust - Pascale Castonguay - vacant position.

MANDATE

The mandate of the Clinical Ethics Committee is to maintain a multidisciplinary forum that will help to examine the ethical aspects of certain questions that are submitted to it, or that it identifies.

The Clinical Ethics Committee is entrusted with four functions, i.e. analysis, recommendation, information and education.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

To promote total respect for users, while considering the responsibilities and obligations of the other persons concerned.

To sensitize and educate all those involved on the importance of ethical considerations in decision-making and in the administration of care and services to users.

To improve the quality of local decision-making of an ethical nature, on the administrative, medical and clinical levels.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

To propose avenues for reflection and offer opinions on the ethical aspects of the orientations, developments, policies and operations of medical, clinical and administrative activities.

To advise and support the administration, physicians, health and social services professionals, users, families and designated persons, so that decisions regarding care will respect the values, interests and desires of users and their families.

To promote greater understanding of ethical issues amongst the institution’s staff members and the general public, by means of information and education.

POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Clinical Ethics Committee comes under the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors.  It is independent and impartial with regard to the nature of its recommendations.