Feedback on Ethical challenges in advance care planning
The National Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC) is seeking your feedback on its draft adviceEthical challenges in advance care planning.
The draft adviceexplores the ethical challenges that health professionals face in advance care planning. It aims to provide practical assistance to help ensure good outcomes for consumers and health professionals from the advance care planning process. Case studies are used to highlight common ethical challenges that arise.
The draft advice is primarily aimed at health professionals, but may also be of interest to members of the public. NEAC has developed this advice with feedback from a range of health professionals. It will complement existing resources from the Ministry of Health and the National Advance Care Planning Cooperative, to create a full package of information and advice for the New Zealand context.
How to have your say
The consultation runs for seven weeks, from Friday 1 November 2013 to Friday 20 December 2013.
To take part in the consultation, please complete this feedback form electronically and send by email to the NEAC Secretariat . Alternatively, post a printed copy to us at:
NEAC Secretariat
PO Box 5013
WELLINGTON 6145
If you have any questions, please contact the NEAC Secretariat on 04 816 3585.
The National Ethics Advisory Committee
NEAC is an independent advisor to the Minister of Health. NEAC was established in 2001 by section 16 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.
Its statutory functions include advising the Minister on ethical issues on health and disability matters and determining nationally consistent ethical standards across the health sector.
Background
The implementation of advance care planning in New Zealand is relatively new. It is therefore timely for NEAC to contribute to the growing interest and momentum in this area.
In 2010, NEAC did a stocktake of advance care planning resources in New Zealand and internationally. The stocktake revealed three tools/guides for the public and one for health professionals on advance care planning and advance directives.
In August 2011, the Ministry of Health published a guide for the health care workforce on advance care planning. It provides information on the wider legal and regulatory framework, good practice in advance care planning discussions and how advance care planning is used in making health care decisions. This publication does not explicitly discuss the ethics of advance care planning.
In November 2011, NEAC agreed that it would develop a publication setting out the guiding ethical principles that underlie advance care planning. The Minister of Health has indicated his support for developing this publication.
In 2012, NEAC met with a range of health professionals to discuss the ethical challenges in advance care planning. NEAC’s draft advicehas been developed and informed by their feedback.
Official Information Act 1982
Your submission may be requested under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Please indicate below whether you wish your personal details to be withheld by NEAC under section 9(2)(a) of the Act in the event of such a request.
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After you’ve taken part
When the consultation closes on Friday 20 December 2013, we will review all the feedback we have received and use this to finalise the advice.
A summary of submissions will be sent to those who request a copy. The summary will include the names of all those who made a submission. In the case of individuals who withhold permission to release personal details, the name of the organisation (where relevant) will be given if supplied.
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Submitter’s details
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Your feedback
NEAC has identified fiveareas where your input is particularly sought.
Please complete the box below to provide your feedback to NEAC on the draft advice Ethical challenges in advance care planning developed for health professionals.
- Does the advice capture genuineethical challenges involved in advance care planning for health professionals?
- Are there any ethical challenges the document has not identified? If there are, do you have any suggestions about how to meet them?
- Do the case studies focus on genuine problems and ethical challenges for health professionals?
- Do you have any comments on the ethical and practical advice offered in the document?
- Do you have any further comments?