Evaluating an ethics summer school : an innovative approach in discussing and teaching ethics

Abstract

Introduction Ethical issues commonly arise in end of life (EoL) care. An ethics summer school, part of an Erasmus+ project, was held locally. It brought together professionals to discuss problematic areas and contribute towards the development of a curriculum on ethical issues. Methodology An end-of-summer school questionnaire was distributed to all participants. The questions in the questionnaire were based on a literature review carried out prior to the summer school. Mixed methodology was used, applying content analysis to describe the qualitative aspect of the study. Results All 44 participants filled in their questionnaire. 86.4% felt that the summer school reached their expectations and 90% declared that their intended objectives were reached. The most common ethically challenging issue in practice was dealing with artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) – 22% of responses - whilst the most requested topic to be included in a future curriculum on ethical issues was communication, followed by patient autonomy. 64% of respondents stated that their personal beliefs influence their decision making in EoL care. Conclusion This was the first ever ethics summer school hosted locally. It is an innovative way of dealing with ethical issues in EoL care. Participants received the summer school very favourably. Areas that would be included in the eventual development of an ethics curriculum were identified. The results will also be used to inform future summer schools.