Ethics in hospitals: Symposium strengthens moral resilience!

Ethics in hospitals: Symposium strengthens moral resilience!

The second ethics symposium at the Hietzing Clinic took place on Friday, September 26, 2025 and attracted over 120 participants, including leading experts and employees from all healthcare professions. Under the motto “Moral resilience through ethical competence in hospitals”, the Vienna Health Association (WIGEV) appeared in cooperation with the Hietzing Clinic and the Institute for Ethics and Law in Medicine (IERM) to focus on the importance of clinical ethics advice. According to Michael Binder, the Medical Director of WIGEV, ethical action is supported by a community and strengthens moral resilience in the hospital.

An important point at the symposium was clinical ethics advice, which offers support in medical decisions involving ethical issues. This advice is aimed at patients, relatives and specialists and attaches great importance to patient-oriented and safe care. The IERM ethics team is active at both the University Hospital AKH Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna and works closely with WIGEV to ensure the practical implementation of ethics issues and their continuous development. Scientific debates and ongoing projects are accompanied by our own research group, which also documents results for practice, such as IERM informed.

Workshops & lectures for ethical exchange

The symposium consisted of various formats such as lectures, discussions and workshops. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that clinical ethics advice provides guidance in difficult decision-making situations and increases both the safety of patients and the well-being of employees. Andrea Sailer, the nursing director at the Hietzing Clinic, took the opportunity to thank the ethics team for their important contribution. A look into the future shows that more than 120 ethics moderators are trained in WIGEV and clinical ethics advice has already become an integral part of modern healthcare.

A significant core element of the training for ethics consultants is further training in medical ethics, which is offered by the master's program in medical ethics. This course, which is aimed at people in the healthcare sector, includes three block events: two basic courses on ethical case advice and a moderation module. Participants learn, among other things, how to address ethical conflicts and share responsibility within teams. There is also the opportunity to learn techniques for moderating case discussions, which makes decision-making in the hospital much easier, reports Mainz University Medicine.

Future-oriented ethics education

In order to be certified by the Academy for Ethics in Medicine (AEM), participation in specific seminars is required that deal with the relationship between morals, ethics and law as well as the organization of ethics consultation in hospitals. The next dates for the ethical case consultations and moderation training have already been set and open up new perspectives for everyone involved. The prices for the seminars are fairly set: 300 euros each for the basic courses and 350 euros for the moderation training.

The aim of the events is to further advance ethics work in the health sector. Anyone interested can register online, with a minimum number of ten and a maximum of 30 participants to enable an intensive exchange. This shows that the topic is not just academic, but is placed in the hands of specialists in an extremely practical manner.

In summary, it can be said that clinical ethics advice and the training of ethics consultants in WIGEV and its partners is a promising way to improve the quality of healthcare in Vienna - a topic that is more on the agenda in times of uncertainty.