Il Servizio di etica clinica: cura di fine vita e trapianti d’organo

Clinical ethics finds its core place in the healthcare context and its reason for being in the specific requests for assistance in solving morally controversial issues. After a quick overview of the Italian situation as regards clinical ethics, we strongly encourage the establishment of clinical ethics services which ensure education of professionals, drafting of guidelines, case and non-case ethics consultation on a regular basis. Competence, time and resources are essential requirements in order to satisfy the clinicians’ need for ethics support. End-of-life care and organ transplantation are typical areas for the application of bedside ethics by a clinical ethics service.