Ethics

Overview

Sometimes it can be difficult to make choices about your own care, or that of someone you love. The team at Providence Health Care Ethics Services can help.

What is ethics?

Ethics is about acting upon our moral principles. At Providence, this is reflected in our Mission, Vision, and Values. Health care ethics is a profession that thinks about what we ought to do in health care. Ethics can guide how we should act when caring for patients, residents and their families.

Clinical Ethicists have advanced education in health care ethics. We help people in challenging situations, including patients, families, and all members of health care teams.

What to expect

We provide support on a wide range of ethical issues, such as:

Respect for person, respect for autonomy and capacity
Supporting choices when there may be risks of harm
Substitute decision-making
Involuntary treatment
Health ethics and the law
End-of-life ethics
Public health ethics

There are many situations when you might find it helpful to talk with an ethicist. These are some examples:

- A parent has been sick a long time. We need to decide on treatments. What should I think about?
- I feel sick and don’t know if I want any more chemotherapy. Should I stop?
- How can I be sure my wishes about my health care will be respected?
- The care team says that I should not feed my partner certain foods because he chokes and might get pneumonia. Don’t I get to decide what is best for him?
- I don’t know if I agree with my parent's doctors about whether to put a feeding tube in. How should I decide?
- My sibling has mental health problems and won’t take his medications. Can I force him to? Can the doctors?
- My family and I don’t agree about whether our parent should go to Long-term Care. Who gets to decide?

Ethical consultations are confidential. We respect the privacy of individuals involved and ensure that all discussions are handled with the utmost discretion and in accordance with legal and regulatory standards.

If you’re uncertain whether a situation presents an ethical dilemma, we encourage you to reach out to us. We can help clarify whether the issue requires ethical consideration and provide guidance on how to proceed.

Support for Indigenous Peoples

The Indigenous Wellness Liaison Team is here to support your health journey. Team members offer cultural support and healthcare advocacy. Learn more below or call them at 604-682-2344,62937 or email IWL@providencehealth.bc.ca.

Indigenous wellness services

The Indigenous Wellness Team at Providence is available to support Indigenous patients and their families. We are here to coordinate culturally safe wellness supports and services.

Education & resources

Ethics Conference & events

We host various education events focused on key issues in healthcare ethics. These programs are designed to spark meaningful conversations and deepen your understanding of important topics in the field.

PHC's Annual 4-Day Health Ethics Seminar + Annual 1-Day Health Ethics Conference returns on April 7 - 11, 2025! Registration is now open!

Early bird rates until February 15, 2025.

Learn more & register