2020 Volume 30 Issue 1 Pages 40-49
In this paper, 437 clinical ethics consultation cases handled at our hospital in the past 6 years were subjected to 4-step coding by referencing the SCAT method, a qualitative research method. We focused on the themes and concepts shared across various cases and defined these as “key terms.” The following 9 key terms were extracted: “off-label medical treatment” (207 cases), “use of unapproved drugs” (33 cases), “conflicting treatment strategies” (32 cases), “interacting with patients who have no relatives” (14 cases), “withholding treatment” (11 cases), “mental support for physicians” (10 cases), “withdrawing treatment” (9 cases), “support for family” (7 cases), and “protection of personal information” (6 cases). While the 7 classifications created based on explanations of the Japan Council for Quality Health Care in “Approaches to Evaluation” set external scenarios in which ethical problems are expected to be encountered, the present 9 key terms are thought to present a part of the internal dilemmas faced by medical professionals.
