DESCRIPTION
The use of restraints pits the fundamental values of patient autonomy and beneficence against one another. While restraints are sometimes necessary to protect a patient's welfare, in general the use of restraints should be limited to circumstances in which the patient consents to their use, or restraints are necessary to avoid significant potential harm to the patient. Difficulties arise when the fulfillment of one value (protecting the patient's welfare) demands the forfeit of the other (when patients refuse to consent to restraints). This conference will examine ethical, legal and regulatory issues raised by the use of restraints. We will focus on tips and guidelines for restraint use, as well as for alternatives to the use of restraints. Issues to be addressed include consent for the use of restraints, strategies to avoid the necessity of restraint use, and regulatory and ethical guidelines for the use of restraints in the acute care, psychiatric, and nursing home settings.

TARGET AUDIENCE
All medical professions, physicians, nurses, social workers, patient representatives, nursing home administrators, and ethics committee members.

PRESENTATIONS/SPEAKERS
"The Use of Restraints in the Nursing Home Setting."- Vickie Bied, RNC
Assistant Administrator, Director Grand Heritage, Heritage Manor, Springfield, Illinois

"JCAHO Standards for the Use of Restraints in an Acute Care Setting." - Donna Crompton, BSN, RN, MBA
Director Of Nursing, Clinical Operations & Special Projects, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois

"Use of Restraints in Patient Care: A Medical Legal Overview." - Theodore LeBlang, J.D.
Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Humanities, Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

"Concluding Remarks: Balancing Autonomy and Potential Harm." - Thomas May, Ph.D.
Director - Clinical Ethics Center, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, IL; and Adjunct Associate Professor - Department of Medical Humanities, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

"Alternatives to the Use of Restraints." - Richard Rosher, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

"The Use of Restraints in a Psychiatric Setting." - John Tomkowiak, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, and Vice-Chairman, Human Values and Ethics Committee, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois