Opinion about clinical ethics consultation among intensivist physicians

BACKGROUNDClinical ethics consultation services and their methods vary and they are seldom evaluated. Only one formal system of individual clinical ethics consultation has been reported in Chile, with a ten-year registry. AIMTo evaluate the opinion of intensivist physicians about the contribution of clinical ethics consultation. MATERIAL AND METHODSAn anonymous and voluntary questionnaire consulting their opinion about clinical ethics consultations was sent to 38 intensivist physicians. RESULTSThe questionnaire was answered by 28 professionals. Eighty four percent of respondents considered that ethics consultation contributed to improve patients' quality of care, 92% responded that this practice helps in decisions about limitation of treatments or life support, and 96% expressed that it also was a positive support for patients and their relatives. Seventy two percent of respondents considered that ethics consultations enhanced their ethical sensibility, 76% that they improved their understanding of clinical ethics topics, and 72% declared that it decreased their stress in complex decision-making. CONCLUSIONSClinical ethics consultation provides a positive support for improvements in clinical decision-making and in the quality of patients' care.