The Ethics Consult Service (ECS) is a free clinical resource for UI Health Care personnel who feel they have reached the limits of their own ability to address an ethical question or problem. The ECS is designed to identify and/or clarify ethical problems in the care of a particular patient and promote discussion. The ethics consultant may make recommendations or share resources with those requesting the consult.  

Requests for an ethics consult are especially encouraged when:  

• You want to discuss important ethical dimensions of a patient’s care 
• A patient’s care raises unusual, unprecedented, or very complex ethical issues 
• You need help making an ethically-significant decision 
• Efforts by the patient, family, and professional staff to resolve an ethical problem have stalled 

With five trained ethics consultants providing 24/7 coverage, An ethics consult can be requested by paging #2922. These consultants can provide guidance about how to place an Epic order for a formal ethics consult if indicated. The ECS reviews all cases with the interdisciplinary Ethics Working Group and reports to the Chief Medical Officer.

Questions? Contact bioethics@healthcare.uiowa.edu