Sometimes it is difficult to make decisions about our own health, or the health of a loved one. Deciding what the "right" or "best" thing do relies on our values, how well we understand what is going on, and our understanding of the choices we are being asked to make. Often there is no "right" choice to be made but the "best" choice is usually the one that does the most amount of good, or the choice that does the least amount harm; very often this is considered the most ethical choice.
How the IWK makes ethical decisions
One of our goals at the IWK is to continue to build a culture of ethics. That means a culture that fosters and supports ethics in everyday practice. We’re building a future of strong ethical decision-making through education, collaboration, and consultation. Our Ethics Committee helps support good decision-making through ethics education, policy development, and organizational ethics (a consultation process encourages the application of an ethics “lens” to decisions made at all levels of the IWK). We’re also supporting our efforts with a Clinical Ethics Consultation (a subcommittee of the Ethics Committee), a research ethics board, and collaborations with other relevant organizations.
Helping you make ethical decisions
IWK Health uses its Ethics Framework to help us understand what the best choice looks like in many situations. Patients, families, staff, and physicians at IWK Health may use the Patient and Family Ethics Tool to help them work through difficult decisions. Many people find using this tool helps but for some people, they need more support. IWK Health offers a Clinical Ethics Consultation Service for any patient, family, or IWK Health clinician who is faced with difficult ethical decisions. If you would like to arrange a confidential consultation, please call 902-470-8053.