Welcome to the Office for Clinical Ethics at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf!

In every hospital there arise situations in which more than just specialist medical or nursing knowledge is required. It is often the case that moral values or convictions are challenged in these situations. A few examples of such challenges are raised in the questions below:

  • Should an intensive and strenuous course of long-term treatment be carried out if the patient is not responsive and has not previously made their wishes clear regarding such a situation?
  • How should one deal with a patient who wishes to proceed with a course of treatment, despite the opinion of the medical team being that such treatment could prove too dangerous or strenuous?
  • What should be done if a 14-year old patient refuses treatment, despite the recommendations of the medical team, but the patient´s parents wish to proceed with the treatment?

Clinical ethics is the field that deals with such questions and conflicts. Clinical ethics investigates the role of moral values in daily clinical life. The aim of clinical ethics is to guarantee the welfare of patients and their relatives, as well as the job satisfaction of all members of the medical team. We would like use to use the following pages to outline the role of the Office of Clinical Ethics in the UKE.

Dr. Katharina Woellert

Vorstandsbeauftragte für Klinische Ethik am UKE Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin Martinistraße 52 20246 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 7410-57260
Fax: +49 (0) 40 7410-52462
Mobil: +49 (0) 1522-281 5204
Email: k.woellert@uke.de