Organizational ethics.

Abstract

Organizational ethics is a relatively recent concept in medical ethics that has many applications to emergency medicine. It encompasses the ethical values and practices of the organization. Emergency medicine organizations have particular challenges because of the need to integrate physician values and practices with those of the hospital and practice management entities. The three basic elements of an organizational ethics program are education, consultation, and policy development/review. To be successful, organizational ethics programs need to be interwoven into the comprehensive organizational plan, and a major focus of leaders in the day-to-day management of the emergency medicine organization.