Ethics in Research and Practice

Question 1

What is patient autonomy?

Answer 1

The patients right to make their own choices

Question 2

What are the three major requirements for valid consent?

Answer 2

Free will (no coercion), Patient must have the capacity to understand, Full information has been given

Question 3

What are the main ethical issues surrounding research?

Answer 3

Recruitment and consent, Vulnerable participants, Confidentiality and data protection, Risks/harms and safety, Financial incentives

Question 4

What are some risks of unethical research?

Answer 4

Harm to patients, abuse of power, mistrust of doctors and of healthcare institutions/professions, mistrusts of useful research, harm to researchers

Question 5

What are some groups that have provided guidelines and codes about ethical research?

Answer 5

Research Ethics Committees, The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, Medical Research Councils, Royal Colleges, GMC

Question 6

What is some of the guidance the GMC has produced?

Answer 6

Good Practice in Research, Consent to Research

Question 7

What are the five essential elements of study design?

Answer 7

What are the reasons for undertaking the study?, Who is the target group?, Recruitment process/strategy, Consent, Confidentiality and data protection