Medical Ethics Advisor
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Real-Life Experience Allows Researchers to Obtain Ethical Consent
Research staff may have secured a signed consent form from a study participant, but did they obtain that consent ethically? People considering whether to join a clinical trial may not fully understand the procedures involved, risks and benefits, confidentiality issues, or even that participation is voluntary, depending on how the research is presented.
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For Some Ethics Programs, ‘Tele-ethics’ Is Routine
Sustainable development of virtual consultation platforms, funding, training of ethics consultants, and visibility of virtual clinical ethics consultation are priorities.
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Tips for Making ‘Tele-Ethics’ Work
Even after the pandemic, medical facilities continue leveraging virtual health technology.
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Feds Weigh In on Psychedelic Medicine Clinical Trials
FDA issues draft guidance for researchers studying alternative therapies.
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Ethical Concerns if Study Participants Use Electronic Wearables
Study participants should clearly understand who owns the data collected and how they can exercise control over its use. Participants should know privacy will be maintained when researchers share data with third parties or when publishing research findings.
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Some Hospice Medical Aid in Dying Policies Require Staff to Leave Room
Ethicists recommend hospices consider revising policies so nurses can support their patients clinically and emotionally at a critical moment.
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The Complicated Ethics of Medical Aid in Dying
Some patients and staff alike do not know what the process is, which can lead to misconceptions. Others might not want to ask about it, while some might object on moral grounds. Researchers are working on better education.
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Ethical Approach to Informed Consent for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
The criteria to demonstrate sufficient capacity to consent should be flexible — and proportional to the complexity and risks of each individual study. Researchers must consider individual differences and be prepared to use a variety of methods.
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Researchers Often Exclude Adults Living with Intellectual Disabilities
Historically, adults living with intellectual disabilities have not been considered among potential participants in the recruitment phase of studies, or have been presumed to lack capacity for first-person consent and excluded on that basis. While there is a contemporary trend toward greater inclusion, these barriers to research participation remain important concerns.
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Sham Surgeries: Should Researchers Offer the Real Procedure After the Trial?
There are legitimate concerns when investigators conduct sham-controlled trials. Researchers need a way to effectively determine if the surgery works, but designing this kind of ethically sound and efficacious clinical trial is difficult.