Pediatric Ethics Consultation: Practical Considerations for the Clinical Ethics Consultant

Caroline A Buchanan; Johan C Bester; Bethany Bruno; Clare Delany; Kerri O Kennedy; Tracy Koogler; Nneka O Sederstrom; Jessica A Moore; Kathryn L Weise

Pediatric Ethics Consultation: Practical Considerations for the Clinical Ethics Consultant

J Clin Ethics. 2019 Fall;30(3):270-283.

Authors

Caroline A Buchanan¹, Johan C Bester², Bethany Bruno³, Clare Delany⁴, Kerri O Kennedy⁵, Tracy Koogler⁶, Nneka O Sederstrom⁷, Jessica A Moore⁸, Kathryn L Weise⁹

Affiliations

¹ Instructor for the Program for Bioethics at the University of Kentucky and Ethics Consultant at University of Kentucky Healthcare in Lexington, Kentucky USA. Caroline.a.buchanan@uky.edu.
² Director of Bioethics and Assistant Professor of Medical Education at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine, in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. johan.bester@unlv.edu.
³ Medical Student at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine pursuing a Master of Arts in Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio USA.
⁴ Professor in the Department of Medical Education at University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Clinical Ethicist in the Office of Ethics at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts USA.
⁶ Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, and Assistant Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics in Chicago, Illinois USA.
⁷ Director of the Clinical Ethics Department at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. Nneka.Sederstrom@Childrensmn.org.
⁸ Associate Professor in the Section of Integrated Ethics in Cancer Care, Department of Critical Care, and Clinical Ethicist in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas USA.
⁹ Recently retired from Cleveland Clinic as Clinical Ethics Consultant through the Center for Bioethics, and Pediatric Hospitalist at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation in Cleveland, Ohio USA. k.weise@sbcglobal.net.

PMID: 31573972

Abstract

Clinical ethics consultants face a wide range of ethical dilemmas that require broad knowledge and skills. Although there is considerable overlap with the approach to adult consultation, ethics consultants must be aware of differences when they work with infant, pediatric, and adolescent cases. This article addresses unique considerations in the pediatric setting, reviews foundational theories on parental authority, suggests practical approaches to pediatric consultation, and outlines current available resources for clinical ethics consultants who wish to deepen their skills in this area.

MeSH terms

Adult
Child
Ethicists
Ethics Consultation*
Ethics, Clinical*
Humans