Ethics Communication in Groups Among Healthcare Professionals (The Ethics-com Study).

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Ethics Support
• Interventions: Other: ethics communication in group, in line with "the one to five-step method"

• Registration Number: NCT05146102
• Lead Sponsor: Umeå University

Brief Summary

Moral distress has been described as a condition with frustration, guilt, anger and as one reason for health care professionals to leave the profession. Ethics communication in groups has been showed to work as support for health care professionals in ethically difficult situations and further work as a tool to improve the ethical climate and prevent moral distress. Our research group has developed the "one to five-step method" for interprofessional ethical communication in groups. The overall aim of this project: is to implement and evaluate a method for organized interprofessional communication about ethical issues in healthcare.

Detailed Description

Ethically difficult situations are a part of the everyday clinical practice for health care professionals and concerns difficult judgements, prioritization and crucial decisions. Being unable or prevented to act according to one's moral conviction for what is good and right care may increase the risk for health care professionals to experience moral distress. Moral distress has been described as a condition with frustration, guilt, anger and as one reason for health care professionals to leave the profession. Ethics communication in groups has been showed to work as support for health care professionals in ethically difficult situations and further work as a tool to improve the ethical climate and prevent moral distress. Our research group has developed the "one to five-step method" for interprofessional ethical communication in groups. The method is a stepwise support for facilitating ethics communication in clinical practice when the situations occurs. The overall aim of this project: is to implement and evaluate a method for organized interprofessional communication about ethical issues in healthcare.

Significance: The study can generate knowledge about ethics communication in groups in line with the " one to five step method", reduce moral distress, create improved ethical climate for healthcare professionals and in turn open up prerequisites for good care.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2021-11
• Study Start: 2021-11-01
• Study First Submitted: 2021-11-05
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-11-23
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-11-23
• Study First Posted: 2021-12-06
• Last Update Posted: 2021-12-06
• Primary Completion: 2022-05-15
• Study Completion: 2022-05-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

• healthcare professionals working at included wards

Exclusion Criteria

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
ethics communication in group, in line with "the one to five-step method"	ethics communication in group, in line with "the one to five-step method"	Healthcare professionals working as "ethical representatives" at the current ward (n=5) have recently gone through a basic ethics program. They will continue by going through an education program for facilitating ethics communication in group, in line with "the one to five-step method" * The education program has a theoretical and practical approach, which includes the theoretical base of the ethical communication in groups and practicing "the one to five method" * Thereafter, each "ethical representative" will facilitate interprofessional sessions at a clinical ward, once a month, for six months at their workplace. Gathering meetings for feedback will be offered for the "ethical representatives" once a month.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
moral distress meausered by using the Meausure of Moral Distress for Health care Professionals (MMD-HP) and the Moral Distress Thermometer	Change from Baseline moral distress at 6 months	primary outcome

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
ethical climate meausered by the Swedish ethical climate questionnaire (SwECQ)	Change from Baseline ethical climate at 6 months	secondary outcome
experiences	at 6 month	interviews of the interventiongroup

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Margareta Brännström; 🇸🇪 Skellefteå, Umeå Universitet, Sweden

Umeå university; 🇸🇪 Umeå, Umeå Universitet, Sweden