Liability of ethics consultants: A case analysis

Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics

Volumn 6, Issue 3, 1997, Pages 269-281

  Duval, Gordon ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; BIOETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS; BRAIN DISEASE; CASE REPORT; CONFLICT; ETHICIST; ETHICS; GROUP PROCESS; HUMAN; LEGAL APPROACH; LEGAL ASPECT; LIVING WILL; LONG TERM CARE; MALE; MALPRACTICE; MEDICAL ETHICS; MIDDLE AGED; PATIENT REFERRAL; PROFESSIONAL STANDARD; QUALITY OF LIFE; RESUSCITATION; TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL;

BIOETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS; LEGAL APPROACH;

BRAIN DISEASES; DISSENT AND DISPUTES; ETHICISTS; ETHICS COMMITTEES; ETHICS COMMITTEES, CLINICAL; ETHICS CONSULTATION; ETHICS, MEDICAL; GROUP PROCESSES; HUMANS; LIFE SUPPORT CARE; LIVING WILLS; MALE; MALPRACTICE; MIDDLE AGED; PROFESSIONAL ROLE; QUALITY OF LIFE; REFERRAL AND CONSULTATION; RESUSCITATION ORDERS; WITHHOLDING TREATMENT;

EID: 0031159934     PISSN: 09631801     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/s0963180100007945     Document Type: Article

References (20)

1. Self DJ, Skeel JD. Legal liability and clinical ethics consultations: practical and philosophical considerations. In: Monagle JF, Thomasma DC, eds. Medical Ethics: A Guide for Health Professionals. Rockville, Maryland: Aspen Publishing, 1988:408-16 at 409.
2. However, in Weiss v. Solomon (1989) 48 C.C.L.T. 280 (Que. Sup. Ct.) a hospital was successfully sued in respect of the negligence of, among others, members of its research ethics board.
3. Gramelspacher GP. Institutional ethics committees and case consultation: is there a role? Issues in Law & Medicine 1991;7(1):73-82.
4. LaPuma J. Consultations in clinical ethics-issues and questions in 27 cases. Western Journal of Medicine 1987;146(5):633-7 at 636. Like Grammelspach (see note 3), LaPuma questions the effectiveness of hospital ethics committees doing case consultation.
5. Wolf SM. Ethics committees and due process. Law, Medicine & Health Care 1992;20 (4):278-90 suggests that determinations made by institutional ethics committees are inappropriate unless taken in the context of a "patient-centered" due process.
6. See Louisell DW, Williams H. Medical Malpractice. New York: Matthew Bender and Co., 1992:¶ 8.04[4][d].
7. See, for example, Burke v. Capello, 520 N.E.2d 439 (Ind. Sup. Ct. 1988).
8. In Canada, see Picard EI. Legal Liability of Doctors and Hospitals in Canada, 2nd ed. Toronto: Carswell, 1984:212ff.
9. Meagher AJ, Marr PJ, Meagher RA. Doctors and Hospitals: Legal Duties. Toronto: Butterworths Canada, 1991:147.
10. Norton v. Hamilton 89 N.E.2d 809 (Ga. Ct. App. 1955).
11. See also note 6. Louisell, Williams 1992:¶ 8.07[1] at 8-104.
12. See note 8. Picard 1984:4.
13. Hales v. Pittman 576 P.2d 493 (Ariz. 1978).
14. See note 6. Louisell, Williams 1992:¶ 9.05[1].
15. See McInerney v. MacDonald (1992) 93 D.L.R. (4th) 415 (Sup. Ct. of Canada).
16. If the action were framed as the intentional tort of abandonment, then it would be alleged that the consultant encouraged, aided, or abetted such abandonment by the physician.
17. Keeton, WP, ed. Prosser and Keeton on the Law of Torts, 5th ed. St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1984:§ 30.
18. See note 6. Louisell and Williams 1992:¶ 8.03.
19. See note 7. Picard 1984:29, 150.
20. Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] A.C. 562 at 580 (per Lord Atkin).