Case Consultation or Review

• Case consultation with the Medical Center Ethics Committee (MCEC) is optional. The MCEC will attempt to provide support and counsel to those responsible for treatment decisions. Patients, families of patients, members of the healthcare team involved in the care of patients have the right to request case consultation from the MCEC through the office of the Chief of Staff, chairperson of department, or members of the MCEC.

Education

• Self education: In order to increase ethical sensitivity and to enhance the ethical aspect of patient care, self education is an important responsibility of the MCEC. The MCEC will hold small study group sessions that look into biomedical ethics. In order to maintain an appropriate level of expertise, the MCEC will develop means of providing members information about clinical ethics and access to literature in this field. To orient new members, methods may include specific reading assignments, seminars, and policy review exercises.
• The MCEC will also play an active role in helping the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) faculty and staff in understanding bio-ethical issues through grand rounds, hospital publications, consultations, lectures, seminars, courses and workshops.
• The MCEC can also assist various AUBMC departments in incorporating material about the MCEC and the field of biomedical ethics into existing programs, by providing them with access to the language, concepts, principles and body of knowledge to address complex ethical dimensions.
• AUBMC members may attend the MCEC educational meetings for educational purposes, unless confidential matters such as a case review are being discussed. Faculty or staff members who wish to attend should contact the Chairperson or Vice Chair of the MCEC.

Policy Formulation

• The MCEC is not a policy making committee. However, it will assist the Chief of Staff in the writing and review of policies and procedures on matters pertaining to biomedical ethics. Other policies that have bearing on ethics at AUBMC may also be reviewed by the MCEC. If the MCEC feels that there a need for policy development or for any modifications/revision of existing policies, it will submit a written recommendation to the Chief of Staff and request permission to develop a policy statement.