Coaching Doctors in Ethical Decision-making (CODE)

The CODE intervention consists of 1) One interactive session of 2 to 3 hrs focusing on the concepts of medical-ethical decision-making, the psychological challenge of dealing with ethically sensitive medical topics, and empowering leadership. 2) Observation and debrief of the interdisciplinary meeting to enhance self-reflection on empowering leadership and managing group dynamics. 3) Individual coaching on the spot in self-reflective and empowering leadership and in managing groups dynamics with regard to ethical decision-making about patients who are perceived to receive excessive treatment during the intervention period, and in absence of such patients, every item with regard to ethical decision-making that is important for the coachee. 4) During the intervention coaches and doctors in charge will be informed of the presence of a patient potentially receiving excessive treatment in their ward by an electronic alert.

The control group will receive usual care in which the quality of the ethical decision-making is determined by the clinical team according to their usual practice. Except from a treatment-limitation-decisions guideline which focuses on the legal and deontological framework, no other guideline with regard to ethical decision-making has been implemented at the Ghent University Hospital. In one ward (geriatrics), there is a ongoing project in which a clinical nurse specialist stimulates and performes advance care planning conversations with patient and/or relatives at request of the team and who organizes debriefings when needed based on the ethical concerns of the nurses.