It is important to note that an Ethics Committee in a healthcare organization consists of a group of Medical Center Staff (social workers, nurses, physicians and chaplains) and other members who are from the community. This is a group of people whose primary role is to help doctors, families, healthcare providers and even patients when they are facing difficult ethical decisions. Most members of the Ethics Committee meeting at nobody’s expense. Their aim has always revolved around providing a supportive safe and confidential forum in which members try to think through a problem while considering different views before arriving at an amicable solution (Biggs, 2014). The issues, in this case, revolve around healthcare facilities. Every attempt is always geared towards involving key members, patient and family when need be. In summary, Ethics Committees are likely to be concerned with issues of patients’ rights, appropriate use of technology, relationships existing between healthcare providers and conflicts within their capacity.
Research has shown that a healthcare committee is likely to go through some challenges in their quest to manage ethical issues within their capacities. One of the most commonly experienced challenges is diversity opinions. It becomes an uphill task to come to a conclusion when there are varying opinions (Hall, 2010). This is influenced by the diversity of cultures, and one’s beliefs. Other challenges that the committee has to deal with revolve around personal interests of members. Many organizations have members with different inclinations. For instance, small groups with similar interests are likely to advocate for decisions that directly affect their space. For instance, doctors will strive to have their interests taken care of as a priority that other burning issues. This is likely to jeopardize the committee’s efficiency. Lastly, lack of financial prowess slows down many decision-making processes.
- Biggs, H. (2014). Healthcare research ethics and law. London: Routledge-Cavendish.
- Hall, R. (2010). An introduction to healthcare organizational ethics (1st Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.