Abstract
This text locates the professionalization of Clinical Ethics in Switzerland as dependent on Swiss ‘culture’. It shows that in this development there are core values such as societal responsibility, self-determination and the desire for consensus that have helped shape the methods and structures of Clinical Ethics in Switzerland. It also asks critically how this development of Clinical Ethics is now progressing in this country. The fact that up to now no demonstrable ethics training or further continuing education has been required to engage in ethics in hospitals raises the question of a possible stagnation of professionalized ethics. These leads us to suspect that the discipline of Clinical Ethics is nowhere near the level of professionalization that it could be. The Swiss ethicists should have the confidence to reflect upon their daily activity as ethicists, in terms of epistemology and scientific theory.
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Notes
- 1.
In Switzerland we use a different terminology. We do not speak of ‘Consultation’ anymore but of `Clinical Ethics’, ‘Ethics Support’ and/or ‘Clinical Ethics Support Services’. Compare also the explanations to these terms in the section of the text: National Recommendations for Clinical Ethics – from ‘Consulting’ to ‘Support’.
- 2.
SAMS 2020. https://www.samw.ch/en.html. Accessed 15 August 2020.
- 3.
Contact person: Sibylle Ackermann, SAMW, cf. footnote two.
- 4.
Oral information by S. Ackermann, 17 September 2020, cf. footnote three.
- 5.
Clinical Ethics Committees are usually organized bottom up by dedicated physicians and nurses and consist of 10–15 members. They deal with guidelines, further education in Ethics for the institution. Usually 2–3 of these members are also specialized in Ethics Consultation or in the moderation of ethical case discussions. However, it is not necessary to have a certificate or proof of further training to be able to work in these committees.
- 6.
It is important to understand that physician-assisted-suicide is not illegal in Switzerland.
- 7.
The first author of this text was part of this working group.
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Porz, R., Kössler, H., Mosimann, U. (2022). Innovation or Stagnation? The State of Art of Clinical Ethics Support in Switzerland. In: Wasson, K., Kuczewski, M. (eds) Thorny Issues in Clinical Ethics Consultation. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 143. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91916-0_8
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