Here are just a few of the difficult decisions the ECS can help with:

            Beginning of life decisions

• medical interruption of pregnancy

• reproductive technology

      End of life decisions

• withholding or withdrawing treatment

• controlling pain and suffering

• providing medically futile or inappropriate care

            Patient Rights

• refusing treatment

• demanding treatment

• living wills and other advance directives

• deciding for incapacitated patients

            Resource Allocation

• organ donation and transplantation

• blood transfusions

            Patient Confidentiality

• protecting patient privacy

• HIV infection

• sexually transmitted disease

• substance abuse