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Practical Guidance for Charting Ethics Consultations

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that appropriate documentation of activities and recommendations of ethics consultants in patients’ medical records is critical. Despite this acceptance, the bioethics literature is largely devoid of guidance on key elements of an ethics chart note, the degree of specificity that it should contain, and its stylistic tenor. We aim to provide guidance for a variety of persons engaged in clinical ethics consultation: new and seasoned ethics committee members who are new to ethics consultation, students and trainees in clinical ethics, and those who have significant experience with ethics consultation so that they can reflect on their practice. Toward the goal of promoting quality charting practices in ethics consultations, we propose recommendations on a broad array of questions concerning clinical ethics consultation chart notes, including whether and when to write a chart note, and practical considerations for the tenor, purpose, and content of a chart note. Our broader aim is to promote discussion about good charting practices in clinical ethics, with the hope of contributing to clear standards of excellence in clinical ethics consultation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, MS: BCM 420, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Courtenay R. Bruce

  2. Biomedical Ethics Program, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Courtenay R. Bruce

  3. Department of Bioethics, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Martin L. Smith

  4. Center for Ethics, Humanities and Spiritual Care, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Martin L. Smith

  5. Center for Ethics, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Olubukunola Mary Tawose

  6. Biomedical Ethics Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Richard R. Sharp

Authors
  1. Courtenay R. Bruce
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  2. Martin L. Smith
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  3. Olubukunola Mary Tawose
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  4. Richard R. Sharp
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Courtenay R. Bruce.

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Bruce, C.R., Smith, M.L., Tawose, O.M. et al. Practical Guidance for Charting Ethics Consultations. HEC Forum 26, 79–93 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-013-9228-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-013-9228-y

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