Moral Expertise in the Context of Clinical Ethics Consultation

Abstract

The question of moral expertise remains largely academic until it serves as a foundation for a morally charged act or practice. Clinical ethics consultation is a complex and potentially impactful practice typifying the translation of theoretical ethics to clinical ethics, from the textbook to the bedside. To this extent, clinical ethics consultation requires a very concrete, applicable form of moral expertise. This service is no different from consulting services provided by other disciplines in health care, which have long ago instituted professional practice standards and methods for evaluating quality of care. In addition to the skills identified by the ASBH, we contend that clinical ethics consultants would benefit from a personalist approach to professionalism, that encourages the development of character traits intrinsic to a profession. In clinical ethics, we argue that this could be achieved, as other professions have discovered, through apprenticeship and professional accreditation. We show that this suggestion is consistent with statements from the ASBH as well as the UK Clinical Ethics Network.