Poor communication among the healthcare providers and members of the team may be a problem that the ethics committee can identify and help resolve.Third, the committee may provide emotional support to the physician, nurses, and other health team members in a case.Fourth, the committee may often specific recommendations to help resolve the dilemma. most committees or consultants help the healthcare team analyze the ethical issues and facilitate discussions with patients and families, and then offer specific recommendations for resolving the dilemmas.Finally the committee or consultants have a role in improving patient care. Patient care decisions do not necessarily need to change after consultation, nor is there a mandate that they must change ,however, by participating in consultation, healthcare providers, patients and families may feel that their concerns have been addressed and day may better understand the rationale for the treatment decision that is being proposed.
unfortunately, not all cases can be resolved with an ethics consultation. In fact, a situation such as Harriet’s where an individual is requesting futile treatment, is one common reason why the healthcare team family and patient might not be able to come to consensus about goals for end-of-life care, some states, such as Texas, have laws that delineate procedures that must be followed prior to, during, and after ethics committee deliberations about futile treatment. After reviewing the case, the ethics committee might recommend either supporting the continuation of life-sustaining therapy or limiting treatment. In texas, if the ethics committee recommends discontinuation of life-sustaining treatment the patient and proxy must receive written notificationof a 10-day treatment limit with an option to request transfer to another facility. if they cannot find another facility to accept the patient, then the life-sustaining treatment is discontinued after the 10 day