Ethics at Vitalité Health Network

Vitalité Health Network is evolving in an increasingly complex environment and can be confronted with a number of ethical issues and challenges.  The Network must therefore ensure that it has guides, guidelines, policies and procedures as well as parameters that will provide guidance to face these issues and challenges.

The Ethics Office has developed an Ethics conceptual framework to gather all tools, documents, and information on ethics.

Ethics Office

The Network has set up an Ethics Office and hired a regional coordinator to manage and coordinate activities in three distinct areas :

• Research ethics;
• Clinical ethics;
• Organizational ethics.

The Ethics Office ensures the planning, organization, and smooth operation of all ethical activities and committees (management of the ethical review of research projects, development of regional policies and procedures, recruitment of new members, etc.).

The Regional Ethics Office Coordinator acts as a resource person, advisor and expert for any ethical issues related to research or else. She also offers training, orientation and guidance to new committee members.

Research ethics involves a regional committee, i.e. the Research Ethics Committee, which aims to assess research projects carried out in all four zones.

As for clinical ethics, a regional committee is in place and provides support during clinical ethics consultations. To facilitate difficult ethical decision making, an ethics consultant is responsible for consultation requests for the entire Network.

As regards organizational ethics, although several documents, tools, policies and procedures are already available, this component is still under development.

If you need more information or have any questions, please contact :

Ethics Office
Vitalité Health Network
275 Main Street, Suite 600
Bathurst NB  E2A 1A9

Phone: 506-229-3964
E-mail: ethique.ethics [at] vitalitenb.ca