From statutory mandate to institutional integration: lessons from the national survey of Israel's healthcare ethics committees

Background

Israel's Patients' Rights Act (IPRA, 1996) established a unique statutory model for ethics committees (ECs), with legally binding authority, differing from the advisory nature of ECs in most countries. Following the 2015 State Comptroller's report highlighting widespread under-implementation, the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a directive in 2018 aimed at standardizing EC structure, procedures, and training. However, the extent of subsequent implementation and operational activity has remained unclear.