Holland Bloorview’s Bioethics Service is dedicated to helping client and family well-being and organizational integrity. The service provides specialized help with clinical and organizational questions and concerns, including:
- Supporting discussions about “everyday ethics” issues that may involve questions of what is “fair” or “right”
- Providing an ethical analysis about an immediate client care issue or an administrative opportunity, question or concern
- Encouraging dialogues and reflections about the relationships, practices or perspectives involved in helping children, adolescents, young adults and their families who have specialized rehabilitation and complex continuing care needs
Our approach
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital uses an approach called the “Hub and Spoke” model to assist in addressing ethical issues. Within this model, over 20 people in the organization have been trained as “bioethics facilitators” to serve as ethics resource leaders. The organization also has an onsite bioethicist and is a partner with the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.
The bioethics facilitators and the bioethicist all support clients, families, staff, students and volunteers in fostering a positive ethical environment at Holland Bloorview. Anyone can call them to discuss ethical issues. No referral is needed. The consultations are confidential.
For more information, please read the article describing the Hub and Spoke Strategy - MacRae S, Chidwick P, Berry S, Secker B, Hébert P, Zlotnik Shaul R, FaithK , Singer PA. Clinical bioethics integration, sustainability, and accountability: the Hub and Spokes Strategy. J Med Ethics 2005;31:256-261.
