The development of clinical ethics in Italy and the birth of the “Document of Trento”

The Italian debate about the role of clinical ethics and ethics consultation has brought about the need to create a working group of Healthcare Ethics Consultation. The group began to take shape and to be organized in 2010; its activities are largely directed to share experiences, to analyze this field and to develop a professional profile of the clinical ethicist recognized throughout the nation. The working group of Clinical Ethics and Healthcare Ethics Consultation was born from some meetings and the group started to draft a Document about Clinical Ethics Consultation in Healthcare in Rome (June 2013). The Document was approved in Trento at the Kessler Foundation (October 2013) and undersigned by more than 200 people. The newborn document was called ‘‘The Document of Trento’’: it is the first Italian document regarding clinical ethics consultation.