Medical Research and Ethics

Paper Summary:

The paper explains the need for patient consent and full disclosure from the physician and refers to the Tuskegee syphilis study and the case of a doctor taking blood samples from children without full disclosure to their parents. The paper further discusses the need for ethics committees and management in enforcing ethical compliance. The paper also emphasizes how ethics is particularly important in medical research, as a lack of compliance can cause expensive lawsuits and severe hazards to human health.

Outline:
Patient Consent
Benefits of Controversial Studies
Compliance / Ethics Committees
Management Responsibilities

From the Paper:

"Medical ethics tends to be a problematic issue, particularly where certain types of research are concerned. Indeed, some practitioners hold the public good in such high regard that they violate human rights for its sake. Of particular importance here is patient consent. Indeed, this issue is central to whether medical ethics are being violated or not. If patient consent is obtained, and the researcher has provided full disclosure of the nature and risks of the study, the ethical requirements of the study have been met. Some researchers are however tempted to violate these requirements for the sake of results. An extreme case of such a violation is the Tuskegee syphilis study, which as become widely publicized as an example of gross human rights violations in favor of medical research. Another case to be addressed later is the one of a doctor taking blood samples from children without full disclosure to their parents. The General Medical Council (1998) is very clear on the ethical requirements for consent in the case of children or those who are incapable of making their own medical decisions."

Sample of Sources Used:

• BBC News (2008, Apr. 11). MMR doctor admits ethics failing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7342618.stm
• General Medical Council (1998, Nov.). Seeking patients' consent: the ethical considerations. http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/current/library/consent.asp
• Hilts, Philip J. (2000, Aug.17). Medical-Research Official cites Ethics Woes. New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E3D7173EF934A2575BC0A9669C8B63&fta=y
• NPR (2002, Jul. 25). Remembering Tuskegee. http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/jul/tuskegee/
• Stewart, Alison. (2002, Feb. 25). GMC issues new guidance on research ethics. PHG Foundation http://www.phgfoundation.org/news/1029/

More papers on Medical Research and Ethics:

• Analytical Essay # 128548 : "Research and Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study"
• Article Review # 87175 : "Medical Research"
• Essay # 97333 : "Science and Ethics"

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