ETHICS CONSULTATION SERVICE
The Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy manages the Ethics Consultation Service throughout all hospitals and clinics within the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems. Operating continuously, year-round, this service is staffed by an advisory team of expert consultants who assist patients, families, and healthcare providers in navigating the complex ethical challenges that emerge in everyday clinical care.
Ethics consultation requests are initiated through the Epic electronic health record system at the University of Miami Health System and through the Cerner platform at Jackson Memorial Hospital. In both settings, the process begins when a clinician submits a consultation request, which the system routes to the on‑call ethics consultant for prompt review and handling.
RESEARCH ETHICS CONSULTATION SERVICE (RECS)
The Research Ethics Consultation Service (RECS) offers investigators timely, expert guidance on socio-ethical and policy issues across the research lifecycle. RECS helps teams anticipate emerging implications for stakeholders—including participants, families, clinical partners, and broader publics—and develop forward-looking strategies that support responsible research. Consultations may include developing consent and data-sharing approaches for new technologies, advising on governance and policy frameworks, identifying evolving ethical and professional duties, or shaping ethics codes of conduct in areas such as genomics and artificial intelligence. In selected projects, RECS also serves as an embedded ethics partner—participating as part of the investigative team to contribute scholarship, conduct horizon scanning, and foster multidisciplinary research and team science by integrating ethical analysis directly into study design and daily decision-making. Through clear, actionable support, the service strengthens both the rigor and trustworthiness of scientific innovation.
For questions regarding our consultation services, please contact us at ethics@med.miami.edu.
