Does a patient’s request not to have a diagnosis included in her health record undermine a clinician’s capacity to provide clinically and ethically appropriate treatment?

In some cases, hope might not have substantial ethical or therapeutic value.

Health care ethics committees may fail in their role as mediators if their members lack impartiality, independence, or expertise in policy formation.

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics opinions related to ethics consultations and ethics committees in health care institutions.

The challenge in professionalizing bioethics is to retain interdisciplinary membership and exchange as an integral part of the profession.

Successful telemedicine ethics consultation requires knowledge of relevant laws and, for videoconferences, the physical presence of a meeting leader.

Strategies for improving health care ethics consultation should appeal to key stakeholders in hospitals and not just the academic bioethics community.

The convening power of clinical ethics committees stems from their reputation for fairness and procedural legitimacy in addressing and resolving ethically complex cases.

In the UK, a pilot program at King’s College London offers a valuable forum for ethics discussions among medical students.

While some physicians try to avoid ethics consultations, their participation can be essential for good patient care.