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Technical University of Munich

Clinical Ethics

Within the framework of clinical ethics, the Institute offers applied ethics in everyday clinical practice. The aim is to promote and support a competent approach to ethical challenges in patient care and clinical work. It is an offer for employees of all professional groups of the clinic as well as for patients, relatives and friends.

Currently, the Clinical Ethics offering is represented by the Clinical Ethics Committee (KEK), the Mobile Ethics Team and the senior physician for clinical ethics.

The further development of ethics structures and services at the hospital is carried out in close cooperation with employees in order to utilize existing processes and implement suitable structures in everyday clinical practice in the long term.

Ethical issues in clinical practice

  • What are options when treating physicians consider different courses of action?
  • What should be done if there is disagreement (dissent) about the therapeutic goal or treatment options?
  • How should the use of invasive diagnostics or therapy be decided in people with severe complex and/or advanced disease?
  • How should treatment decisions be made at the beginning of life when the treatment team and parents have different ideas?
  • What should be done if minors capable of giving consent express different treatment wishes than their parents?
  • When is an advance directive also valid in an emergency?
  • How should decisions be made if the patient is incapable of giving consent and there is disagreement about the presumed will?
  • How should patients be supported when restraints are needed?

Clinical Ethics offers

  • Concrete advice on ethical issues: as an ethics consultation, as an ethics case discussion on the ward or as an ethics case consultation in the KEK
  • The KEK stands as a forum for the discussion of ethical issues at the hospital and for ethics case consultation
  • The joint development of new services, such as consults and visit support, is a priority in order to make well-founded consultation possible
  • The Clinical Ethics Forum: as an interdisciplinary continuing education series and interprofessional exchange on ethical topics for employees of all professional groups
  • Public events for topics on clinical ethics

Taskforces of the KEK

  • The Mobile Ethics Team for the offers on the wards
  • A working group on handling precautionary documents and emergency forms
  • Additional working groups are planned that will work on nursing ethics issues and other key ethical topics

Events

The Clinical Ethics Committee (KEK) offers hospital staff the opportunity to acquire and deepen their ethical expertise through its regular continuing education event, the Clinical Ethics Forum.

You can find current and past events here in the event calendar.

Ethics Training for Employees

The KEK welcomes training programs for healthcare professionals in ethics counseling. If you are interested, please contact the Clinical Ethics Committee’s office.

 

Contact

The offers can be used by employees of all professional groups of the clinic from all areas, by patients as well as by relatives and authorized representatives.

  • When concerns, questions or a problem are perceived
  • If there is uncertainty or discomfort in the current situation
  • If regular ethics offerings are to be developed together
  • Education and training opportunities are desired

Clinical Ethics Committee

Dr. med. Kathrin Knochel
Senior Physician for Clinical Ethics

Chair: Prof. Dr. med. Alena Buyx
Management: Dr. med. Kathrin Knochel

Contact:
Phone: +49 89 4140 4041 (Office)
Phone: +49 89 4140 7255 (Clinical requests)
Email: klinische.ethik@mri.tum.de

We always welcome your feedback, suggestions, and requests! If you’re interested in getting involved, please feel free to contact us in person, by phone, or by email.

Book recommendations

  • Praxisbuch Ethik in der Medizin, Herausgegeben von Georg Marckmann, Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft 2015
  • Praxisbuch Ethik in der Intensivmedizin, Konkrete Entscheidungshilfen in Grenzsituationen, Herausgegeben von Salomon, Fred Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft 2018
  • Advance Care Planning, Von der Patientenverfügung zur gesundheitlichen Vorausplanung, Redaktion in der Schmitten, Jürgen; Coors, Michael; Jox, Ralf Kohlhammer Verlag 2015
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