CHER - Clinical and Health Care Ethics Research Group
Surgical coats drying in hospital backyard, Ethiopia.
Photo:
Ingrid Miljeteig, BCEPS
Main content
Health care providers, clinical leaders, and policymakers worldwide face complex ethical challenges and difficult priority-setting decisions. 听 At CHER, our research focuses on exploring these challenges and decision-making processes鈥攂oth in Norway and low-income settings. We conduct normative analyses of value trade-offs, assess ethical decision-making frameworks, and develop improved tools, practices, and training strategies to promote ethically sound decisions and a resilient health workforce. 听 Our interdisciplinary team includes senior researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD candidates, many of whom also work as clinicians or are actively involved in teaching students and health care professionals. We meet regularly to present and discuss research, fostering an engaging academic and social environment.
Research and Capacity Building听
Clinical Ethics
The overall aim for these PhD-projects is to explore the clinical ethical dilemmas experienced by clinicians working in various specialities, their coping strategies and their suggestions for training and support in order to improve patient care and working conditions.
Ethical dilemmas of abortion providers and policy makers in Ethiopia. PhD-project 听by听Emily McLean, BCEPS
Ethical dilemmas and moral resilience among health providers and leaders in trauma care in Malawi. PhD-project by听Nina Kleven-Madsen, BCEPS and Department of International Collaboration, Haukeland University Hospital
Ethical dilemmas and moral distress experienced by providers in neonatal and obstetric care in Ethiopia. Medical student on PhD-track project by听听Kaya Cetin, BCEPS
Legal regulations and ethical challenges concerning registration of maternal and perinatal death for health care providers in Ethiopia, PhD- project by听Mulu Beyene Kidanemariam, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen and BCEPS
Clinical Decision-Making and Communication in Life-Threatening Conditions听
The overall aims for these projects is to explore high-risk and/or complex clinical decision-making and to develop and implement various decision-making support for clinicians.
Improving shared decision-making and patient trajectories in advanced lung cancer treatment 鈥� a multicentre implementation study. PI听Margrethe Aase Schaufel, Associate professor in palliative medicine, Consultant at the Department of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital.
Very elderly patients鈥� treatment preferences, and participation in shared decision making in the event of acute life-threatening illness. PhD-project by听Leonie Gabrielle Schwartz, PhD-candidate and Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist, Intensive care unit, Department of Surgical Services, Haukeland University Hospital and BCEPS
Exploring conditions for shared decision-making preceding transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with co-morbid dementia, a study of complex clinical and ethical decision-making. Postdoc-project by听Elisabeth Skaar, Postdoc and geriatric cardiologist, Department of Cardiology, Haukeland university hospital
ProPEL: Protocol for patients >= 75 years undergoing emergency lapratomy. PhD-project by听, PhD-candidate and Senior Consultant Aneaesthesiologist, Department of Surgical Services, Haukeland University Hospital
Priority Setting in Norway
The overall aims for these projects is to understand more of the priority setting processes taking place at various levels in the health care system in Norway and to develop strategies and tools to support leaders and clinicians in ensuring fair priorities and legitimate decision-making processes.听
Priorities in practice: examining priority setting in the making of health trust budgets. Postdoc-project by听Andrea Melberg, BCEPS
Priority setting dilemmas and moral distress among Norwegian Physicians, Project听听Ingrid Miljeteig
Capacity Building and Research on Teaching Methods in Ethics 听
Since 2011 we have collaborated with various institutions to develop and implement teaching in medical ethics among medical students. Through these processes we have also participated in developing teaching material, curriculums, networks and ethical guidelines. Mapping out what ethical dilemmas the students will meet when they start practicing has been a core part of this work and several papers have been published.听
PhD-project of听听on effect on selfreported data, patient reported data and observed practice of a short clinical ethics training among gyn/obs residents in Ethiopia.
Patient files in Kidongo Chikundo Mental Hospital, Zanzibar.
Photo:
Ingrid Miljeteig, BCEPS
Organization
CHER operates under 贰罢脴碍 and is one of three research groups within BCEPS. It brings together researchers from ethics (primarily clinical ethics), medicine (notably palliative and intensive care), anthropology, and social sciences. The group convenes administrative meetings and monthly research meetings, where Ph.D. candidates present mini-lectures and receive feedback on their work.
Collaborating Institutions
CHER partners with national and international institutions, including:
Johns Hopkins University (USA) 鈥� Professor Cynda Rushton
National Cancer Institute (USA) 鈥� Professor Paul Han
Harvard Medical School (USA) 鈥� Associate Professor Charlotta Lindvall
WHO Health Ethics and Governance 鈥� Andreas A. Reis
Addis Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting (ACEPS) 鈥� Dr. Solomon T. Memirie
Helse Bergen 鈥� Research and Development, Thoracic Medicine, Intensive Care
Regional Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care, Helse Vest
Norwegian Public Health Institute
Centre for Medical Ethics, University of Oslo
Oslo Communication in Healthcare Education and Research Group
Major Projects and Outputs听
CHER actively contributes to various projects such as:听
Moral Resilience Global Collaboratory Network: Developing theory, practices, and evaluation frameworks for healthcare professionals鈥� moral resilience.
ProtEqt Voice: Promoting responsiveness and equity in primary healthcare decisions (NFR-funded).
ScanOnc: Utilizing scalable natural language processing to improve oncology healthcare (Helse Vest-funded).
Reproductive Interfaces: Examining ethical, political, and clinical aspects of second-trimester abortion in Scandinavian welfare states (NFR-funded).
Educational Initiatives: Creating courses and workshops in clinical ethics and decision-making for students and professionals.
International Collaboration: Engaging with organizations like UNESCO and WHO to influence global healthcare ethics.
