Medical Ethics Advisor
RSSArticles
-
Researchers Are Boosting Study Recruitment with ‘Cold Contact’ Processes
The Medical University of South Carolina recently switched to a new patient outreach recruitment model. Now, researchers can contact patients unless they opt out. The new process has dramatically increased the number of potential study participants who can be contacted, from 52,000 to more than 1.7 million patients.
-
Study Recruitment Incorporated Into Check-In Process
Recruitment through patient portals has become more common, but actual enrollment rates remain low. As part of patients' routine appointment check-ins, researchers included a study information sheet and a HIPAA authorization form. This led to a 37% enrollment rate, which was seven to eight times higher than what researchers expected.
-
Ethics Committees Need Successful Recruitment Tactics
Leaders share tips on how they managed to successfully recruit more colleagues to serve.
-
Plastic Surgeon Ethics Complaints: Expert Testimony, Marketing
Allegations concerned deceptive advertising, including using altered pictures and making claims that could not be verified. Also, some surgeons have been accused of exaggerating their expertise or scope of practice to cash in on lucrative expert testimony opportunities.
-
The Trouble with ‘Grateful Patient’ Fundraising
Although philanthropic donations are important, physicians pushing patients and families to chip in is ethically problematic.
-
Does Current IRB System Ensure Ethical Research?
A consensus is needed for how to measure IRB quality or effectiveness, and more inspections are needed to ensure instances of IRB noncompliance are identified, according to the authors of a recent report.
-
Growing Concerns About Health Data Use
A group recently outlined ethical, legal, and societal standards for data collection, use, and reuse to which researchers, technology companies, and others can be held accountable. The statement assures people the stewardship of their data is taken seriously, and that the company is committed to using it ethically.
-
Patients Say Researchers Are Ethically Obligated to Return Study Data
Returning patient-reported outcome data to study participants is a growing priority for researchers. it is important to do it in a way that is comprehensible, actionable, and aligned with participants’ preferences.
-
To Pay or Not to Pay: Researchers Grapple with Implications of Reimbursing Study Participants
Pushback on paying participants comes from both researchers and IRBs. From the researcher’s perspective, concerns revolve around budgetary limitations and how much they can afford to pay. IRBs generally are more concerned about payment amounts causing undue influence on participation.
-
Literature Review Reveals Gaps in Research on Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Ethicists should consider the potential for discrimination and inequality in access to assisted reproductive technologies, and help make these solutions available to all who need them, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or other factors.