Understanding What Clinical Ethical Cases Are: A Review and Perspectives from a Canadian Collaborative Working Group

Authors

  • Gabriel Saso-Baudaux Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Université de Montréal/McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Anna Henry Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Université de Montréal/McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2554-8483
  • India Gaer Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Université de Montréal/McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0757-1168
  • James Anderson The Hospital for Sick Children; Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8099-3820
  • Claudia Barned The Institute for Education Research, University Health Network; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8622-2808
  • Jennifer A.H. Bell The Institute for Education Research, University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3617-6852
  • Daniel Buchman Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8944-6647
  • Lee de Bie St. Joseph's Health System, Unity Health Toronto; McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9364-9487
  • Adélaïde Dousseau CIUSSS de l’Estrie - CHU de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2622-5948
  • Katherine Duthie Alberta Health Services; John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6011-905X
  • Pierrette Fortin Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0332-8044
  • Jennifer A. Gibson Providence Health Care; School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Gary Goldsand Saskatchewan Health Authority; John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8625-6298
  • Ann M. Heesters The Institute for Education Research, University Health Network; The Michener Institute of Education at UHN; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8996-3484
  • Kim Jameson Vancouver Coastal Health; Centre of Applied Ethics; Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2521-2755
  • Bashir Jiwani Fraser Health Authority, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6097-9511
  • Monique Lanoix Faculty of Philosophy, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7948-3399
  • Gabrielle Lemieux McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4777-0094
  • Alexandra Olmos-Perez Provincial Health Service Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3441-5296
  • Élodie Petit Institut de cardiologie de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Amanda Porter Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network; Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4809-9797
  • Andréanne Talbot CISSS Chaudière-Appalaches, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
  • Marika Warren Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network; Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4548-4155
  • Randi Zlotnik Shaul The Hospital for Sick Children; Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Bioethics Department, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3078-8989
  • Eric Racine Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Université de Montréal/McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8306-551X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7202/1124212ar

Keywords:

clinical ethics, cases, methods, participatory research, living ethics, pragmatism

Language(s):

English

Abstract

Clinical ethics is largely about understanding concrete moral situations and supporting meaningful discussion on these to identify appropriate resolutions. However, concepts and methods to describe cases (e.g., dilemmas, situations, stories) vary between authors and case analysis methods. We undertook a non-exhaustive literature review — inspired by McDougall’s critical interpretive review method — to identify a range of influential ideas on how to describe clinical ethics cases and the methods recommended to understand these cases. We identified nine families of case analysis methods, which vary considerably with respect to the basic description of cases, the strategies recommended to understand cases, and additional features that should be considered (e.g., contexts, social and power dynamics, emotions). As a collective of clinical ethicists and academics, we identify five main limitations of these methods and underline the importance of developing methods based on the practical knowledge of clinical ethics consultants.

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© Han Han Li

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Published

2026-03-16

How to Cite

[1]
Saso-Baudaux G, Henry A, Gaer I, Anderson J, Barned C, Bell JA, et al. Understanding What Clinical Ethical Cases Are: A Review and Perspectives from a Canadian Collaborative Working Group. Can. J. Bioeth 2026;9:104-17. https://doi.org/10.7202/1124212ar.

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): Open Issue

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriel Saso-Baudaux, Anna Henry, India Gaer, James Anderson, Claudia Barned, Jennifer A.H. Bell, Daniel Buchman, Lee de Bie, Adélaïde Dousseau, Katherine Duthie, Pierrette Fortin, Jennifer A. Gibson, Gary Goldsand, Ann M. Heesters, Kim Jameson, Bashir Jiwani, Monique Lanoix, Gabrielle Lemieux, Alexandra Olmos-Perez, Élodie Petit, Amanda Porter, Andréanne Talbot, Marika Warren, Randi Zlotnik Shaul, Eric Racine

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