Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28949894›Full record

ArticleAJOB empirical bioethics

The use of an online comment system in clinical ethics consultation.

Katrina Hauschildt, Trisha K Paul, Raymond De Vries, Lauren B Smith, Christian J Vercler, Andrew G Shuman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AJOB empirical bioethics. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. The utility of website-based quality improvement tools for health professionals: a systematic review.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2024
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Katrina Hauschildta Department of Sociology , University of Michigan.
Trisha K Paulb Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine , University of Michigan Medical School.
Raymond De Vriesa Department of Sociology , University of Michigan.
Lauren B Smithb Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine , University of Michigan Medical School.
Christian J Verclerb Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine , University of Michigan Medical School.
Andrew G Shumanb Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine , University of Michigan Medical School.

Funding

TRAINING IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHYT32HD007339 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Sarah A. Burgard · 1987 to 2026
$14.9M
Scientific/Technical CoreP2CHD041028 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Sarah A. Burgard · 2017 to 2026
$6.5M
NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD041028NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD007339
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough a mechanism for resolving ethical issues in patient care is required for accreditation of American hospitals, there are no formal qualifications for providing clinical ethics consultation (CEC), and there remains great variability in the composition of ethics committees and consult services. Consequently, the quality of CEC also varies depending on the qualifications of those performing CEC services and the format of CEC utilized at an institution. Our institution implemented an online CEC comment system to build upon existing practices to promote consistency and broad consensus in CEC services and enable quality assurance.

methodsThis qualitative study explored the use of an online comment system in ethics consultation and its impact on consensus building and quality assurance. All adult ethics consultations recorded between January 2011 and May 2015 (n = 159) were analyzed for themes using both open and directed coding methods.

resultsWe found that comments broadly reflected three categories: expressions of approval/agreement (87% of consults), comments about the case (89%), and comments about the written record (72%). More than one-third of consults included responses to other comments (37%). The most common types of "comments about the case" included requests for additional information (36%), recommendations for additional services (21%), and references to formal policies/standards (28%). Comments often spanned multiple categories and themes. Comments about the written record emphasized accessibility, clarity, and specificity in ethics consultation communication.

conclusionsWe find the online system allows for broad committee participation in consultations and helps improve the quality of CEC provided by allowing for substantive discussion and consensus building. Further, we find the use of an online comment system and subsequent records can serve as an educational tool for students, trainees, and ethics committee members.

Indexed as

CommunicationEthicistsEthics, ClinicalEthics Committees, ClinicalEthics ConsultationOnline SystemsAdultConsensusHumansQualitative ResearchQuality Controlclinical ethicsclinical ethics committeesgraduate medical educationquality improvement

Identifiers

PMID28949894
PMCPMC5621479

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.