Ethics

Ethics are the principles and values that guide how we plan, deliver and improve services. Ethics involves a systematic method for deciding what to do and when to do it. Every decision, action, and attitude of ours, personally and professionally, is based on our principles and values.

By keeping our organizational values in mind when we make decisions, provide culturally safe and inclusive person centred care, and conduct our business, we strive to ensure that the values of compassion, quality, integrity and safety are upheld.

The IH Ethics Council guides employees, health professionals, students and volunteers on how to use the IH Ethics Framework to support ethical practice in all IH sites, programs, and services. The Council’s function is to promote an integrated approach to ethics quality.

The Council reports to the Senior Executive Team and includes a diverse representation from the organization including public partners. If you have any questions please contact, IHethicscouncil@interiorhealth.ca.

View the Ethics Council Terms of Reference

View the Interior Health Ethics Framework and Decision Making Guide

The Research Ethics Board provides ethical review of all research involving Interior Health people or their information to protect research participants, researchers and the organization.

For more information visit our Research Ethics Review page.

Ethics requires us to think about our values, how we make decisions, and how our actions affect others. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that uses standards to help us understand right from wrong. 

You may have an ethical question if you are wondering:

• What is the right thing to do?
• What is most important?
• How do we resolve this conflict or tension?
• Or if none of the available options seem acceptable

Clinical ethics involves making value-based decisions in the delivery of health care. We draw on clinical ethics to promote quality health care with consideration to the values, risks, benefits, and preferences of those involved – including persons, their family and loved ones, and members of the care team.

Confidential clinical ethics consultation is available to anyone within IH. If you are facing a difficult decision for yourself or someone else, please contact Clinical Ethics at ClinicalEthics@interiorhealth.ca.

Public Health ethics is concerned with the collective interests of a population (the public, a group, society, or community) for the common good. Many public health activities are not carried out independently; there is often a strong relationship with municipal, provincial or federal government influence where policy and practice intersect. Ethical issues may occur in any of the core public health functions: health protection, disease and injury prevention, health promotion, health assessment and surveillance, and emergency preparedness and response.

For public health consultation contact the Office of the Medical Health Officer.

We are committed to fostering integrity in our workplace through ethical business practices.

According to AL 1600 Project Ethics Policy, quality improvement and program evaluation projects involving people or their private information must follow a process of ethical review.  This includes projects done by IH employees, students, consultants, patient and family partners, or medical staff. Using an ethical review framework and a validated process to review projects helps to ensure that we protect the people we serve, our staff, and the organization.

Visit our Project Ethics page for more information