Medical Ethics Advisor – March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
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Citizen Science Projects Surging, But Often Lack IRB Ethical Oversight
Failure to return results, exploitation of participants, poor quality data, and power imbalance are top ethical worries. Citizen scientists should pay attention to issues of power and exploitation, and think about what processes to use to stay ahead of those concerns.
Are Neurotechnology Tools Designed Ethically? Public Is Skeptical
Industry members cannot just assume people trust them to design devices ethically. Marketing campaigns and advertisements are one way to spread the message. But even more fundamental is incorporating patient and end user feedback in the design process.
Unique Ethical Issues with Research on Difficult-to-Treat Depression
Researchers should focus on these three areas: How to define this group of patients, which is heterogenous; how to acquire and interpret clinically meaningful outcome metrics; and how to design clinical trials to promote generalizability.
Researchers Encounter Challenges with Study Development Protocols
Tutorial videos and webinars, in-person training, and sample forms are some of the ways researchers try to keep up with IRB protocols to prevent any study delays.
IRBs Determine Acceptable Risk for Pediatric Studies
IRBs may be disinclined to approve study protocols based on the mistaken belief there is little public support for net-risk pediatric research. Thus, researchers should show IRBs data on the risks of the interventions in question. To demonstrate the study’s social value, researchers could explain how the approach under investigation could help address an important health condition.
Clinicians, Researchers Need New Framework for Ethical Management of Sickle Cell Disease
A new tool characterizes sickle cell disease pain as its own distinct problem, deserving of appropriate treatment. The tool suggests healthcare providers use the patient’s subjective report of their pain experience as data for informing treatment recommendations.
Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant Lack Palliative Care
Palliative care teams can shorten length of stay, prevent readmissions, improve patient satisfaction, lower costs, and reduce burnout rates.
Much Remains for IRBs to Learn About Performance Measurement
One researcher argues a more appropriate definition of IRB quality is how well the board implements the Common Rule — not just mere compliance, but how well boards put the Common Rule into effect.
More Than 2,000 Consent Forms Posted Publicly
Creators of federally funded studies have been mandated to post informed consent documents on ClinicalTrials.gov ever since the revised Common Rule requirements became effective in January 2019. However, it was unclear how many or what kind of consent forms were posted — and who was posting the forms. A group of investigators set out to answer these rudimentary questions.
Chatbots Can Help Care Managers Provide Ethical Treatment
There is no way around it — health systems are facing an ongoing shortage of clinicians to meet the needs of patients who need longitudinal care management. For one system, chatbot technology turned out to be at least a partial solution.
Chaplains Distinctly Equipped to Address Moral Injury
When healthcare professionals experience moral injury, they experience spiritual and existential distress in the forms of self-doubt, guilt, frustration, anger, depression, and burnout. Collaborating with chaplains is crucial in supporting staff when they believe they have compromised their moral integrity.
Physicians Might Discuss Medical Aid in Dying, Providing the Service Could Be Another Matter
Considered one of the most controversial subjects in medicine, some physicians might talk with patients about medical aid in dying, but providing the service could be a different story — for several reasons, both ethical and practical.
Survey: OB/GYN Residents Feel Unprepared to Care for LGBTQ+ Patients
Lack of experienced faculty and curricular crowding were the two most commonly identified barriers.