Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- Section I Information problems
- Section II End of life care
- Section III Pregnant women and children
- Section IV Genetics and biotechnology
- Section V Research ethics
- Introduction
- 25 Research ethics
- 26 Innovation in medical care: examples from surgery
- 27 Clinical trials
- 28 Epidemiological research
- 29 Clinical research and the physician–patient relationship: the dual roles of physician and researcher
- 30 Financial conflict of interest in medical research
- 31 Embryo and fetal research
- Section VI Health systems and institutions
- Section VII Using clinical ethics to make an impact in healthcare
- Section VIII Global health ethics
- Section IX Religious and cultural perspectives in bioethics
- Section X Specialty bioethics
- Index
- References
25 - Research ethics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2009
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- Section I Information problems
- Section II End of life care
- Section III Pregnant women and children
- Section IV Genetics and biotechnology
- Section V Research ethics
- Introduction
- 25 Research ethics
- 26 Innovation in medical care: examples from surgery
- 27 Clinical trials
- 28 Epidemiological research
- 29 Clinical research and the physician–patient relationship: the dual roles of physician and researcher
- 30 Financial conflict of interest in medical research
- 31 Embryo and fetal research
- Section VI Health systems and institutions
- Section VII Using clinical ethics to make an impact in healthcare
- Section VIII Global health ethics
- Section IX Religious and cultural perspectives in bioethics
- Section X Specialty bioethics
- Index
- References
Summary
Dr. A is a family practitioner with a special interest in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He receives a letter from the coordinator of a study to evaluate a promising new treatment for this condition. The letter invites Dr. A to submit the names of potentially eligible patients. He will be paid $100 for each name provided.
Dr. B, a psychiatrist in private practice, is approached by a pharmaceutical company to assist with a clinical trial to test the efficacy of a new drug in the treatment of acute psychosis. The study will enroll acutely psychotic patients with no history of psychosis (or of treatment with antipsychotic drugs) through physicians' offices and emergency departments. Patients enrolled in the study will be randomly assigned to receive the new medication or a placebo and will remain in hospital for eight weeks. During this time, they will not be permitted to receive antipsychotic medications other than the study drug. Informed consent will be obtained from each participant or a proxy. Patients may be withdrawn from the study if their medical condition worsens substantially.
What is research ethics?
Research involving human subjects can raise difficult and important ethical and legal questions. The field of research ethics is devoted to the systematic analysis of such questions to ensure that study participants are protected and, ultimately, that clinical research is conducted in a way that serves the needs of such participants and of society as a whole.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics , pp. 187 - 193Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008
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