Teleethics Consultation Services

The development and expansion of the hospital clinical ethics committee, along with the ethics consult service, in University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics has officially been in force since January 2004, and has had a profound effect on healthcare in this institution. We are presently averaging 3-4 ethics consults a month in various venues. We also provide consultation to institutions and clinicians outside of our institution and throughout the state through any communication means possible, including phone, email, and the new and innovative means of telehealth video conferencing (teleethics).

Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of telehealth for patients outside of the acute care setting can be cost effective, improve clinical outcomes, and sustain satisfaction for both patients and providers.^1,2 The Missouri Telehealth Network (MTN), developed in 1994 at the University of Missouri, was developed to enhance access to care to underserved areas of Missouri. MTN presently has 82 telehealth sites in 40 Missouri counties, and is utilized by more than 15 medical specialties at University of Missouri Health Care. Over the last two years telehealth technology has also been incorporated for use by ethics consultants to provide services to ethics committees and providers at distant hospitals, nursing homes, and other remote areas where such ethics consultation services are not available. The accessibility and feasibility of providing such services has proven to be very effective and initial indications are that those involved with teleethics consultations are satisfied with the impact that it has had.

University of Missouri Health Care's ethics consult service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will work to provide timely and efficient responses to providers, patients, and families who need assistance with making difficult treatment decisions, or when other ethical dilemmas occur. Teleethics is just one more means by which this service can be provided in an efficient and user friendly fashion for those in need outside of the University of Missouri system. To inquire about teleethics consultation, please call 573-882-2738, fax 573-884-2664, or email healthethics@missouri.edu.

1. Jerant T, Azari R, Nesbit T. Medical Care 2001
2. Johnson B, Wheeler L, Dueser J, Sousa K, Arch of Fam Med 2000