When the healthcare team, patient, and family can not reach a consensus about the continuation of life treatment, the issue should be referred to sustaining the hospital's ethics committee. The Joint Commission requires hospitals to have an ethics committee for discussion and consultation to aid in the resolution of such difficult issues. The consultation may be with a member or member(s) of the ethics committee, or the case may be presented before the entire committee. The goal of case consultations by ethics committees is to suggest ways to resolve disagreements in difficult situations.