Browse Medical Ethics Articles by Topic

Paying Participants? Incentives Should Be Reasonable for Research Activities Involved

Remember two central ethical concerns: Undue inducement, meaning an offer so attractive it leads to bad judgment, and unjust inducement, meaning payment is more attractive to lower-income people, putting too much of the burden of research participation on them.

IRBs Face Unique Ethics Questions About Big Data Research

There is a need for ethics review committees to improve oversight capacity for big data research, the authors of a recent paper argued. Researchers assessed the weaknesses of ethics review committees, some of which are not specific to big data research but could be exacerbated by it, and some that are specific to big data research.

IRBs Scrutinizing Remote Consent, Screening, and Participation in Study Protocols

It is critical to remember face-to-face contact remains the best way to conduct the process of informed consent. Remote processes should not be used as an alternative if face-to-face contact is safe and practical.

Cost to Treat U.S. Patients with Rare Diseases Likely Underestimated

NIH, FDA, other groups form consortium to speed gene therapy development.

Protocols for Scarce Resources Draw on Ethical Principles, Empirical Data

The combination of ethical principles and empirical data is critical. The protocol is not derived only from ethical principles. The empiricist developing the protocol must understand the ethics.

IRBs Face Unique Ethical Questions About Disaster Research

IRBs must consider the value of the research to advance science and reduce suffering. At the same time, IRBs must consider the potential for harm based on the unique vulnerabilities of disaster survivors in the aftermath.

The Earlier, the Better for Formal Ethics Training

For physicians anticipating prolonged post-graduate training, a key advantage of this program is it happens concurrently with the medical school curriculum.

Ethics of 10-Year Research Agenda for Dementia, Alzheimer’s Studies

There is a pressing need for more research on non-cure-based treatments for people living with dementia. That gap in is a real ethical concern. Social-behavioral research can help family members who are struggling to figure out where the loved one with dementia is going to live.

Ethics Service Uses Relative Value Units to Quantify the Work of Consultants

Unlike clinical areas, ethics services have no consistent way to measure their work. The lack of quantifiable data makes it hard for leadership to comprehend. Administrators live in the world of productivity measures. They do not fully understand the world of clinical ethics. A group at Baylor is working on the a solution that, if nothing else, would help everybody start to speak the same language.

Study: More Than Half of DNR ED Patients Resuscitated Against Their Wishes

Of 419 cardiac arrest patients, 65 were DNR status. Of this group of DNR patients, 38 were resuscitated against their wishes. Not adhering to a patient’s wishes not only violates their autonomy, but it is arguably not acting in the patient’s best interest — and may in fact be causing them harm.