L23: Ethics and Professionalism in Imaging Flashcards
Describe the Syphilis Study at Tuskegee.
- study initially involved 600 Black men – 399 with syphilis, 201 without the disease
- participants’ informed consent was not collected
- researchers told the men they were being treated for ‘bad blood’ – local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis, anemia, and fatigue
- in exchange for taking part in the study, the men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance
What is medical ethics?
system of moral principles that apply values and judgements to the practice of medicine
- for ALL who work in the healthcare field – not just physicians
What is medical professionalism?
set of values, behaviours, and relationships that underpin the trust the public has in doctors
- serve the interests of the patient about their self-interest
What is ethics?
branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour
- concerned with what is good for individuals and society
- application: influences how people make decisions and lead their lives
What are the 4 core principles of medical ethics?
- autonomy
- non-maleficence
- beneficence
- justice
What is autonomy?
person’s self-reliance, independence, liberty, rights, privacy, and freedom
- the right of a patient to refuse or choose their treatment
What is non-maleficence?
doctor should not be the cause of harm to the patient or society, and should promote good
What is beneficence?
being kind, doing good work and charity
- healthcare provider should develop skills and knowledge, get trained with any new research or development in their required field so that they act in the best interest of the patient
What is justice?
fair and equitable treatment of all patients
What are the fundamental commitments of the medical profession?
- well-being of the patient
- respect for persons
- justice
- professional integrity and competence
- professional excellence
- self-care and peer support
- inquiry and reflection
What are the 3 research ethics violations?
- data fabrication
- data falsification
- plagiarism
What is data fabrication?
when a researcher fabricates data for their study that supports a certain hypothesis
- publishing this data can put researcher’s entire career at risk
- could lead to other researchers who believe the fabricated data to be true to put valuable time and effort into further studies around it
What is data falsification?
similar to fabrication, except instead of making up new data, the researcher is altering existing data to support their hypothesis
can include:
- excluding certain data that contradicts the hypothesis
- filtering data to suggest a correlation when it does not actually exist
What is plagiarism?
when a researcher copies results from someone else and presents them as their own
- can be difficult to catch – usually requires editor/reviewer to recognize data that may be out of place
- violation of copyright law and can lead to severe consequences including disciplinary action from the researcher’s institution
What is self-plagiarism?
when a researcher might try to have their work published in two separate journals
- considered unethical by the scientific community unless there are special circumstances
- generally should only send manuscript to different journal if first one was rejected it for publication
