Welcome to the Ethics Consult Service at the Georgetown University Medical Center. Below are frequently asked questions and an overview of what our program offers.
What is an "ethics consult"?
Making decisions amid all the complexities of modern medicine is not easy. Ethical questions can arise, for instance, when a patient has lost the capacity to make decisions, when it is not clear whether the burdens of a treatment are worth the expected benefits, or when values appear to conflict. The ethics consult is an advisory service that is designed to assist patients, families, and all health care professionals in identifying, analyzing, and resolving ethical dilemmas.
What happens in an ethics consult?
A clinical ethicist will review each request to see if a full consult is warranted. Sometimes, the concern may only be a communication problem. A full consult will generally involve a meeting of several ethicists, the health care team, the patient, and/or the patient's family as appropriate. The consultants do not judge the quality of patient care or make decisions. They help to facilitate a discussion and clarify the ethical issues in making an important decision.
How does one request a consult?
The ethics consult can be initiated by calling the page operator at Georgetown University: 202-687-7243 and request the "ethics consult service" which is on-call 24 hours a day. For further information, or if a problem is encountered, please call: 202-687-1122.
Who can request a consult?
Doctors, patients, nurses, chaplains, social workers, or anyone involved in the case.
The Center for Clinical Bioethics
The Center for Clinical Bioethics, on behalf of the Georgetown University Hospital Ethics Committee, conducts this clinical service to assist staff, patients and families. The center faculty have training and experience in both patient care and in ethics. They work closely with the whole hospital staff, including the departments of Pastoral Care and Social Work, and conducts ethics consults from a team approach.
Request for an Ethics Consult may be made to the Center for Clinical Bioethics at any time by calling the numbers listed on this website. No fees are charged for this service and all consultants are kept strictly confidential.
Clinical Ethics Consultants
- Robert Barnet, MD
- William Blazek, SJ, MD
- James Duffy, SJ, MD
- Kevin FitzGerald, SJ, PhD
- James Giordano, PhD
- John Collins Harvey, MD, PhD
- Ann Neale, PhD
- Kathleen Neill, RN, PhD
- Edmund Pellegrino, MD
- Siva Subramanian, MD
- Carol Taylor, RN, PhD
