Navigating Complex Clinical Decisions: Ethics at the Intersection of Law, Capacity, and Patient Rights
8:30 am Welcome and Introductions
8:40 am Informed Consent and Decision-Making Capacity:
A Clinical Ethics Perspective
Joseph T. Bertino, PhD, HEC-C
Director of Clinical Ethics
Wellstar Health System
Abstract: Informed consent and decision-making capacity are fundamental to ethical patient care, yet they are often misunderstood and difficult to assess in clinical practice. This session explores the ethical and practical challenges that arise when patients or surrogate decision-makers have uncertain or impaired decision-making abilities. Through case-based discussion, participants will examine the elements of informed consent, apply practical approaches to assessing decision-making capacity, and develop strategies for navigating complex situations while promoting patient-centered, ethically sound healthcare decisions.
9:45 am Guardianship in Practice: A Guide to When, Why and How to Navigate
Guardianship in Patient Care
Libby Moore, PhD
Federated Guardians
Abstract: Providing quality ethics consultation services requires that the consultant be able to identify his or her own relevant moral values and intuitions including how these might influence the process or analysis of an ethics consultation. This interactive session will provide participants an opportunity to explore, reflect thoughtfully, and gain an understanding of their personal moral values, intuitions, and biases. Participants will be guided through various images, works of art, and literary passages to elicit underlying moral instincts which may have bearing on ethics consultation services.
10:50 am Forensic Patients: Healthcare Ethics, Law, and Policy
Greg Dober, MA
Healthcare Ethics Advocate
Private Practice
Abstract: Millions of incarcerated and detained individuals require healthcare each year, yet misconceptions about their rights and access to care remain widespread. This session examines the ethical, legal, and policy responsibilities of healthcare professionals caring for justice-involved patients. Participants will explore constitutional protections, professional standards, and common ethical challenges while dispelling myths about the carceral population. Through discussion and case examples, attendees will gain practical insights into providing equitable, ethical, and patient-centered care while safeguarding the rights and dignity of this vulnerable population.
12:00 pm Adjournment