A Code of Ethics for Health Care Ethics Consultants: Journey to the Present and Implications for the Field

Abstract

For decades a debate has played out in the literature about who bioethicists are, what they do, whether they can be considered professionals qua bioethicists, and, if so, what professional responsibilities they are called to uphold. Health care ethics consultants are bioethicists who work in health care settings. They have been seeking guidance documents that speak to their special relationships/duties toward those they serve. By approving a Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities for Health Care Ethics Consultants, the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) has moved the professionalization debate forward in a significant way. This first code of ethics focuses on individuals who provide health care ethics consultation (HCEC) in clinical settings. The evolution of the code's development, implications for the field of HCEC and bioethics, and considerations for future directions are presented here.

Keywords:

• ethics committees
• confidentiality and privacy
• history
• organizational ethics
• professional ethics
• virtues

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Bob Baker for his contributions to the Code in his role as code of ethics liaison to the CECA committee, and the following CECA members who have rotated off of the committee: Jeffrey Berger, Jack Gallagher, Paula Goodman-Crews, Christine Mitchell, Nneka Sederstrom (Mokwunye), Kayhan Parsi, Tia Powell, and Marty Smith.