Brunetti L L, Ellos W J
HEC Forum. 1994 May;6(3):176-82. doi: 10.1007/BF01463652.
It is evident that HEC decisions are de facto binding. Our challenge is to recognize the implications of these decisions for patient care. As a result of the passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act and the recent JCAHO rules mandating dispute resolving mechanisms for ethical issues, case review by ethics committees will undoubtedly have an even greater influence on patient care. Therefore, health care institutions and their medical staffs must strive to find the best way to use the inherent powers of hospital ethics committees to enhance patient care decisionmaking.
显然，高等教育委员会的决定实际上具有约束力。我们面临的挑战是认识到这些决定对患者护理的影响。由于《患者自我决定法案》的通过以及近期联合委员会国际医院认证组织（JCAHO）要求建立伦理问题争端解决机制的规定，伦理委员会进行的病例审查无疑将对患者护理产生更大影响。因此，医疗机构及其医务人员必须努力找到最佳方式，利用医院伦理委员会的固有权力来加强患者护理决策。
