RRT, PhD
Carolyn [dot] ells [at] mcgill [dot] ca (Email)
Academic background
Dr Ells holds an M.A. (1996) and Ph.D. (2000) in Philosophy with concentrations in medical ethics from the University of Tennessee. Her dissertation, Autonomy and Chronic Impairment, was supervised by Dr James Lindemann Nelson. She has an Honours B.A. (1994) in Philosophy with First Class standing from Saint Mary's University.
Employment background
Dr Ells came to McGill in August 2002. She is currently an associate professor of Medicine and member of the Biomedical Ethics Unit.
From 1999 to 2002, Dr Ells held a faculty appointment in the Department of Bioethics at Dalhousie University where she was Coordinator of the Collaborative Venture in Health Care Ethics, Law and Policy between the Department of Bioethics and Health Law Institute at Dalhousie University and three affiliated teaching hospitals. She also chaired Dalhousie's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Ethics Board.
Dr. Ells' training and work in bioethics is complemented by many years of clinical and teaching experience in respiratory therapy. She obtained a Diploma of Respiratory Therapy (1985) from the School of Respiratory Therapy in Halifax, and registration with the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (1985). She worked in respiratory therapy at St John Reegional Hospital and then the Halifax Infirmary Hospital for 1985-1994.
Research
Dr. Ells' research interests include autonomy, chronic impairment, patient-centred care, feminist ethical theory, clinical ethics, organizational ethics and research ethics review process. Published work on these topics can be found in BMJ, Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, CMAJ, Healthcare Management FORUM, HEC Forum, Journal of Clinical Ethics, Journal of Medical Ethics,Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Social Theory and Practice, and elsewhere. Dr. Ells presents her work regularly at national and international meetings, including the Canadian Bioethics Society and International Network on Feminist Approaches to Bioethics.
Currently Dr Ells is a co-investigator on Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant, "Social Context and Psychological Distress in Couples Seeking ART Services," (PI: Phyllis Zelkowitz). She has received research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Contribution of patient socio-demographic factors to decision-making regarding access to critical care interventions), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Revising Autonomy in Health Care; Ethical Tensions in the Caring Professions) and American Medical Association (Strategies for Teaching and Evaluating Professionalism: Faculty development of "physicianship" program).
Clinical
Dr Ells is clinical ethicist at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, where she chairs the Clinical Ethics Committee and Research Ethics Committee, provides ethics consultation, and contributes to continuing education. For more information on the JGH Clinical and Research Ethics Committee visit their websites:JGH Clinical Ethics Committee. For more information on the JGH Research Ethics Committee visit its website:JGH Research Ethics Committee.
Teaching
Dr Ells teaches Bioethical Theory, a required course in the Specialization in Bioethics Master's Program. Eight masters' trainees and one doctoral trainee have completed theses/dissertation under her supervision. She participates in undergraduate and postgraduate bioethics teaching in the Faculty of Medicine. Prior service includes the medical school's Physicianship Curriculum Committee and Task-force for Curriculum Renewal.
As a member of Groupe FEE (Formation en éthique ; For Ethics Education), Dr Ells was one of 4 persons contracted by the Ministère de la Santè et des Services sociaux (Ministry of Health and Social Services) to develop a research ethics education program for the province of Quebec. The program includes on-line tutorial and face-to-face workshops. To learn more about this program, to take one or more of the free (bilingual) tutorials, or to download (French or English) PDF versions of the tutorials, enter the on-line program at: For Ethics Education
Professional Activities
Dr Ells is currently serving a two-year term as Co-Coordinator of the International Network of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. She has been a member of the Advisory Board and Archivist of the same organization since 2001. She is on the Editorial Board of The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, and reviews manuscripts for several journals.
Selected Publications
Ells C. Communicating Qualitative Research Study Designs to Research Ethics Review Boards, The Qualitative Report. (Accepted June 15, 2010, Forthcoming Vol 16, Num 3, 2011)
Hunt M, Ells C. Partners Towards Autonomy: Risky Choices and Relational Autonomy in Rehabilitation Care, Disability and Rehabilitation. (2010), Early Online, 1-7. Partners Towards Autonomy [.pdf]
Lotan G, Ells C. Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Participation in Decision Making: Ethical Considerations for Professional–Client Practice, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 48:2 (2010), 112-145. Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Participation in Decision Making [.pdf]
Lemoignan J, Ells C. ALS and Assisted ventilation: How patients decide, Palliative and Supportive Care. 8:2 (2010), 207-213. ALS and Assisted Ventilation [.pdf]
Ells C. Levels of Intervention: Communicating with more precision about planned use of critical interventions. The American Journal of Bioethics. 10:1 (2010), 78-79. Levels of Intervention [.pdf]
Ells C. There's No Going Outside the Lines: Ethical Considerations in the Conduct of Clinical Trials. Chapter 4 In: What You Need to Know to Conduct a Clinical Trial and How to Avoid Common Pitfalls, Craig Leonardi & Kim Papp (Program Chairpersons), an on-line educational program jointly sponsored by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine, BioCentric, Inc., and the International Psoriasis Council, June 1, 2009. http://www.psoriasiscouncil.org/chapters/intro/5
Goodyear MDE, Eckenwiler LA, Ells C. Fresh thinking about the Declaration of Helsinki: A comprehensive approach to ethical research, BMJ (2008) 337:a2128. (Commissioned editorial) BMJ Helsinki editorial [.pdf]
Eckenwiler LA, Ells C, Feinholz D, Schonfeld T. Hopes for Helsinki: reconsidering "vulnerability", Journal of Medical Ethics. 34:10 (2008), 765-766. JME Hopes for Helsinki [.pdf]
Eckenwiler LA, Feinholz D, Ells C, Schonfeld T. "The Declaration of Helsinki through a Feminist Lens," The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. 1:1 (2008), 161-177. IJFAB FAB Helsinki [.pdf]
Beagan B, Ells C. "Values that Matter, Barriers that Interfere: The Struggle of Canadian Nurses to Enact their Values," Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 39:4 (2007), 36-57. CJNR Values that Matter Barriers that Interfere with The Struggle of Canadian Nurses [.pdf] Reprinted in 40th Anniversary 10 year Retrospective Issue: Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 41:1 (2009), 86-107.
Cantini F, Ells C. "The Role of the Clinical Trials Nurse in the Informed Consent Process," Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 39:2 (2007), 126-144.
Ells C, Gutfreund S. "Myths about Qualitative Research and the Tri-Council Policy Statement," The Canadian Journal of Sociology. 31:3 (2006), 361-373. Myths about Qualitative Research and the Tri-Council [.pdf]
Ells C. "Assessing Hospitals' Responsibility to Provide Unremunerated Services," Healthcare Management Forum. Fall 2006, 6-12.
Ells C. "Healthcare Ethics Committees' Contribution to Review of Institutional Policy," HEC Forum. 18:3 (2006), 264-274.
Caniano, DA, Ells C. "Ethical Considerations." In: Pediatric Surgery 6th edition, Volume 1. Jay L Grosfeld, James A O' Neill, Eric W Fonkalsrud Arnold G Coran (eds.). Mosby Inc, 2006, 257-262.
Ells C. "Foucault, Feminism and Informed Choice," Journal of Medical Humanities 2003; 24(3/4): 213-228. Foucault, Feminism, and Informed Choice [.pdf]
MacDonald C, Ells C. "Organizational Ethics and its Implications for Health Care," Healthcare Management FORUM 2002; 15(3): 32-8. Implications of Organizational Ethics to Healthcare [.doc]
Ells C, Caniano D. "The Impact of Culture on the Patient-Surgeon Relationship," Journal of the American College of Surgeons 2002; 195(4): 520-30. The Impact of Culture on the patient-Surgeon Relationship [.doc]
Ells C, Downie J, Kenny NP. "An Assessment of Ethical Climate in Three Health Care Organizations," Journal of Clinical Ethics 2002; 13(1): 18-28. An Assessment of Ethical Climate in Three Health Care Organizations [.doc]
Kenny, NP, Ells C. "Empowerment to Meaningful Autonomy," (pp. 313-31) in Long-Term Care. Continuing the Care: The Issues and Challenges for Long-Term Care. Revised Edition. Marion Stephenson and Eleanor Sawyer (eds.) Ottawa: CHA Press, 2002 Empowerment to Meaningful Autonomy in Long-Term Care [.doc]
Ells C. "Culture, Ethics and Pediatric Surgery," Seminars in Pediatric Surgery. 2001; 10(4): 186-91 Culture, Ethics, and Pediatric Surgery [.doc]
Ells C. "Lessons about Autonomy from the Experience of Disability," Social Theory and Practice. 2001; 27(4): 599-615. Lessons About Autonomy from the Experience of Disability [.pdf]
Ells C. "Shifting the autonomy debate to theory as ideology," Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. 2001; 26(4): 417-30. Shifting the Autonomy Debate to Theory as Ideology [.pdf]
Ells C. "Preventing and Resolving Ethical Conflicts: more help for policy makers," Healthcare Management FORUM 2001; 14(1): 22-4. Preventing and Resolving Ethical Conflicts: More help for policy makers [.doc]
