Week 7 Flashcards
what is ethics
- involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right & wrong behavior
what are 3 forms of ethics
- meta ethics
- normative ethics
- applied ethics
what is meta ethics
- the attempt to understand the metaphysical, epistemological, semantic, and psychological presuppositions and commitments of moral thought, talk, and practice
- asks what morality actually is
- the attempt to answer questions about ethics (not so much concerned with what people or acts in particular are ethical) –> the where, when, why, how, and what r/t ethics & morality
- studies the meaning of moral language and the metaphysics of moral facts
what is normative ethics? who is the decision usually made by
- investigates the questions that arise regarding how one OUGHT to act, in a moral sense
- the study of ethical behaviour
- decision usually made by the majority (ex. in the past is was determined by old white males)
what is applied ethics (3)
- refers to the practical application of moral considerations w respect to real-world considerations in the areas of private & public life
- builds from meta-ethics
- determines how ethical principles are realistically applied
- application of ethics to real-world problems
research ethics closely relates to which form of ethics
- applied ethics (it produces research guidelines)
define research ethics
- involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to a variety of topics involving research
- set of ethical guidelines that guides us on how scientific research should be conducted and disseminated
- governs the standards of conduct for scientific researchers
- must prevade and guide all aspects of the research process
why is it important to adhere to ethical principles w research
- in order to protect the dignity, rights, and welfare of research participants
in research involving human subjects, what needs to be obtained prior to starting the study?
- ethics approval
who approves a research study? what are they?
tri-council:
- made up of three major funding bodies which back human trials
- together they create the tri-council policy statements on ethics –> attempt to apply a standard set of ethical principles across all sorts of health research
which funding body is most relevant to nursing
- Canadian Institute for Health Research
describe the tri-council policy statement (5)
- the purpose of the TCPS is to establish principles to guide the design, ethical conduct and ethics review process of research involving humans
- expresses the Agencies’ continuing commitment to the people of Canada to promote the ethical conduct of research involving humans
- only research adhering to the standards of the Counsil will receive funding in Canada
- used by research ethical boards across Canada
- avoids any one disciplinary perspective, aims to provide a shared ethical framework for funding agencies and clinical institutions
why are research ethics important? (8)
- protects study participants, including vulnerable groups
- establishes risk-benefit ratio
- ensures full respect of dignity, privacy, disclosure, and fair treatment of participants
- builds capacity of
participants to accept or reject study participation - promotes the aims of research (knowledge, truth, avoidance of error)
- promotes values essential to collaborative work
- supports researcher accountability
- builds public trust in research findings
applied to both conducting & applying research
what are some examples of breaches of research ethics throughout history (2)
- Nazi experiments on Jewish prisoners
- the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
what are some general breaches of research ethics (3)
- confidentiality *
- informed consent*
- accurate reporting of study findings
what is the Belmont report and what are the 3 pillars of ethics?
Bellmont report is a federal document that provides the ethical principles and guidelines that must be followed in research involving human participants
- respect for persons
- beneficence
- justice
what is included in the Respect for Persons pillar of the Belmont report (3)
- right to self-determination & autonomy
- voluntary participation
- freedom from coercion
what is included in the Beneficence pillar of the Belmont Report (5)
- freedom from exploitation and harm
- risk/benefit ratio
- do good
- do no harm
- links to the concept of fiduciary relationships (nurses have an obligation as part of this relationship to put the needs of our clients first)
what is included in the Justice pillar of the Belmont Report (5)
- right to fair and non-prejudical treatment
- right to privacy
- anonymity
- confidentiality
- all individuals in the population of interest should have equal opportunity to participate in health research
Box 261 on pg 382 describes 15 guiding principles in making ethical decisions
…
what are some modern ethical dilemmas in the research area (4)
- stem cell research
- the human genome project
- influence of big pharma
- clinical research vs quality improvement/EBQI
what are some ethical dilemmas associated w stem cell research (3)
- who should have access to stem cells
- who consents to give stem cells
- how is stem cell research contributing to inequities (rich people can afford to bank stem cells)
what are some ethical dilemmas associated w human genome projects
- ethical challenge is editing out things like down syndrome, genetic diseases –> should this be allowed?
what are some ethical dilemmas associated w big pharma (2)
- conducts expensive, large RCTs which produce the majority of our meds
- research findings may be biased (researchers what to prove the drug works, may not look as closely at adverse effects
see textbook for clinical research vs quality improvement/EQBI (exam Q)
- research = uses a scientific process to generate new knowledge and research utilization
- quality improvement = systematic process used by healthcare systems to improve their processes and outcomes for a specific population once a problem is identified
describe some examples of ethical tension (4)
- issues of consent, control, and justice
- questions of fairness, privacy, confidentiality, impact on genetic counselling, and prediction of future disease
- funding from a biased source, privacy, and confidentiality, equitable access to clinical trials
- need for ethics review board (REB) approval
describe access equity as an ethical issue
- many groups are regularly excluded from studies
ex. minorities, LBGTQ, women, the disables, those w mental illness, individuals living in poverty, the homeless - majority of clinical research is conducted on middle aged white males
know difference between sex & gender in Yackerson article
…
describe intersectionality and how it relates to research
- A variety of factors coming together to influence your life/opportunities
- People with a variety of minorities are less likely to be included in a research study even if the research question involves them
ex. Historically, medical residents were only trained to respond to cardiac symptoms which are experienced by males (women present with neck pain, jaw pain, nausea, feeling of impending doom instead of the radiating arm pain men experience) = women were often misdiagnosed with panic attacks or anxiety disorders when presenting with a heart attack
what are 7 TCPS ethical principles
- respect for human dignity
- respect for free & informed consent
- respect for vulnerable persons & groups
- respect for privacy & confidentiality
- respect for justice & inclusiveness
- balancing harms & benefits
- minimizing harms & maximizing benefits