VCU offers ethical decision making program for health professionals

By Michael Ford
University News Services

The Virginia Geriatric Education Center at Virginia Commonwealth University has launched a program to expand training for health professionals who face ethical dilemmas in caring for older patients.

The program, called Right Choices: Ethical Decision-making in the Health Professions, will enroll 60 fellows and scholars from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work and the allied health professions, including health administration. Healthcare professionals will learn about the aging process, geriatric care and ethical issues that may arise in the care of older adults.

Ethics-based issues can arise at many stages of caring for older patients, including informed consent, self-determination, confidentiality and disclosure, advance directives, surrogate decision-making, patient autonomy and involvement with care planning. Cultural and ethnic concerns also are at play.

“Health professionals need better training in ethical decision making to clarify their own values in a situation and to seek out, respect and integrate patient values within decision making,” said Iris A. Parham, Ph.D., chair of VCU’s Department of Gerontology and the center’s executive director. “By improving a practitioners' ability to recognize and address areas of ethical conflict with their patients, they will be better prepared to develop solutions that maximize quality of life for the older patient.

“A number of ethical situations can be encountered, ranging from patient non-compliance with treatment regimens that diminish their quality of life, to compliance with ‘Do Not Rescusitate’ orders, or how to allocate a shortage of flu vaccines in a nursing home.”

The program is funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.