Patients, Providers, and… Police? Clinical and ethical ambiguities related to Law Enforcement Presence in the Emergency Department

Law enforcement officers interact with patients and clinicians in the emergency department (ED) for many reasons. There is no current consensus on what should comprise, or how to best enact, guidelines that balance law enforcement officer activities in the service of public safety with patient health, autonomy, and privacy. In this webinar, we review relevant clinical and ethical principles related to caring for patients in the presence of law enforcement. This session included a facilitated participant discussion on previous experiences, a case presentation, and a short didactic on laws, ethical frameworks, and suggested best practices.