Several years ago, SIR and SIR Foundation leadership met to outline the 2018–2022 Strategic Plan. As part of the proceedings, the group voted unanimously to adopt a new core value into the SIR brand pillars: “SIR and its members adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, placing the interests of patients first.”
The time was certainly right for this update. After all, when IR was a procedurally based subspecialty of DR, we typically did not need to consider or analyze the ethical questions and dilemmas that are common in a more clinical setting. As members of a primary clinical specialty, however, IRs increasingly need to understand such ethical considerations, if they are to provide the most thoughtful and humane care to their patients. Literature (and even conversations) on this topic in our IR culture is limited, however, and although SIR does have an Ethics Committee, it has generally focused on issues related to membership.
Earlier this year, the SIR Executive Council approved a proposal to address the gap in awareness and understanding of clinical ethics—applied ethics—in IR. This multipronged effort includes:
- Expanding the scope of the Ethics Committee beyond societal rules.
- Identifying/establishing a forum in which all IR community members can engage on clinical ethics in IR.
- Learning from other specialties that have more clearly defined ethics sections.
- Pursuing projects and publications with supportive opinion and data in establishing strong ethical perspectives.
- Communicating these updates on a regular basis through SIR communication and publication channels.
As we proceed, we will work to spread this consciousness of applied ethics into other SIR committees to help them address ethical issues that may rise in their work, and we will begin publishing in IR Quarterly a regular series of articles on applied ethics.
I believe this new focus will add value to the care of our patients, to the lives and practices of interventionalists and to the broader IR community, as well. Clearly and formally opening such discussions will also further validate our position within hospital systems and among other specialties—increasingly vital as we seek to strengthen partnerships with external organizations and grow as leaders in the health care community.
