FOUNDATION FOR NARRATIVE INQUIRY IN BIOETHICS

NIB Foundation has the following goals:

> Raise awareness of ethical issues that arise in healthcare and health systems
> Explore changes to practices and policies in healthcare and health systems to better meet the needs of stakeholders
> Increase insight and empathy in healthcare

NIB Foundation accomplishes its mission as it:

> Publishes the journal Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, which includes in every issue: Collections of stories from stakeholders on a specific topic (such as being a living organ donor or providing care for Alzheimer's Disease patients); commentaries on the stories by experts and stakeholder group leaders; case studies that present and analyzed difficult cases in healthcare; and qualitative research articles that explore ethical and social issues in healthcare using data from focus group or interview studies
> Publishes (as funds are available) VOICES editions of NIB issues. VOICES editions are tailored for the public, are freely available, and have educational discussion guides
> Develops and distributes curricula and educational guides
> Coordinates volunteer educators who lead educational sessions with healthcare workers and students using materials developed by the Foundation

Topics that the Foundation has addressed include: Psychiatric hospitalization / Living organ donation / Raising children with autism / Difficulties with labor and delivery / Living with chronic pain during the opioid crisis / Intersex / Labeling obesity a medical disorder / Delivering healthcare in resource poor nations and in rural and prairie settings / Sexual harassment in surgery / Genetics testing for health care and research / Confronting pediatric brain tumors / Preserving fertility in cancer care / Alzheimer's disease caregiving / Conflicts of interest in medicine / Religion in healthcare / Other topics

NIB Foundation has the following resources to accomplish its mission:

> An editorial board consisting of nationally recognized leaders in the field of bioethics
> Staff with expertise and experience in editing, communication, and web design
> Volunteers trained to lead educational sessions with healthcare workers and students
> A website and an electronic newsletter that provide information to authors and the public
> A publishing agreement with the Johns Hopkins University Press and Project MUSE
> A partnership with Washington University School of Medicine to staff projects

NIB Foundation has accomplished the following:

> Published 27 issues of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics
> Published 3 VOICES editions of NIB issues with educational guides
> Produced 6 educational guides using NIB materials on topics such as communicating what matters most to patients, dealing with moral distress as a healthcare provider, and addressing stigma and bias in healthcare. Each of these guides helps small groups to explore ethical and social issues in healthcare using personal stories from key stakeholders
> More than 60,000 published articles have been downloaded in the past 4 years
> Approximately 6 educational sessions per year are held with physicians and physicians in training

Next steps include:
> Growing the number of volunteer educators to reach a far greater number of healthcare workers and students
> Increasing the dissemination of NIB products to health policy makers and thought leaders
> Increasing gifts to sustain and grow the mission of NIB Foundation