Ethics Instruction in Library and Information Science: The Role of "Ethics across the Curriculum"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Bernie Todd

2010-01-01

Ethics is an important element of most graduate professional training programs. In the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) the inclusion of ethics in the curriculum is supported by a position paper by library educators and is monitored in the accreditation of graduate programs. Despite the many LIS programs which claim to integrate…

Informed consent in the context of pharmacogenomic research: ethical considerations.

PubMed

Howard, H C; Joly, Y; Avard, D; Laplante, N; Phillips, M; Tardif, J C

2011-06-01

Although the scientific research surrounding pharmacogenomics (PGx) has been relatively plentiful, the ethical research concerning this discipline has developed rather conservatively. Following investigation of the ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) of PGx research, as well as consulting with key stakeholders, we identified six outstanding ethical issues raised by the informed consent process in PGx research: (1) scope of consent; (2) consent to 'add-on' studies; (3) protection of personal information; (4) commercialization; (5) data sharing; and (6) potential risks stemming from population-based research. In discussing these six areas as well as offering specific considerations, this article offers a solid base from which future practical guidelines for informed consent in PGx research can be constructed. As such, this effort works toward filling the ELSI gap and provides ethical support to the numerous PGx projects undertaken by researchers every year.

Relational autonomy in informed consent (RAIC) as an ethics of care approach to the concept of informed consent.

PubMed

Osuji, Peter I

2018-03-01

The perspectives of the dominant Western ethical theories, have dominated the concepts of autonomy and informed consent for many years. Recently this dominant understanding has been challenged by ethics of care which, although, also emanates from the West presents a more nuanced concept: relational autonomy, which is more faithful to our human experience. By paying particular attention to relational autonomy, particularity and Process approach to ethical deliberations in ethics of care, this paper seeks to construct a concept of informed consent from the perspective of ethics of care which is here called relational autonomy-in-informed consent (RAIC). Thus, providing a broader theoretical basis for informed consent beyond the usual theoretical perspectives that are particularly Western. Care ethics provides such a broader basis because it appeals to a global perspective that encompasses lessons from other cultures, and this will help to enrich the current ideas of bioethics principles of autonomy and informed consent. This objective will be achieved by exploring the ethics of care emphasis on relationships based on a universal experience of caring; and by contrasting its concept of autonomy as relational with the understanding of autonomy in the approaches of the dominant moral theories that reflect rational, individualistic, and rights-oriented autonomy of the American liberalism.

Informed consent in neurosurgery—translating ethical theory into action

PubMed Central

Schmitz, Dagmar; Reinacher, Peter C

2006-01-01

Objective Although a main principle of medical ethics and law since the 1970s, standards of informed consent are regarded with great scepticism by many clinicans. Methods By reviewing the reactions to and adoption of this principle of medical ethics in neurosurgery, the characteristic conflicts that emerge between theory and everyday clinical experience are emphasised and a modified conception of informed consent is proposed. Results The adoption and debate of informed consent in neurosurgery took place in two steps. Firstly, respect for patient autonomy was included into the ethical codes of the professional organisations. Secondly, the legal demands of the principle were questioned by clinicians. Informed consent is mainly interpreted in terms of freedom from interference and absolute autonomy. It lacks a constructive notion of physician–patient interaction in its effort to promote the best interest of the patient, which, however, potentially emerges from a reconsideration of the principle of beneficence. Conclusion To avoid insufficient legal interpretations, informed consent should be understood in terms of autonomy and beneficence. A continuous interaction between the patient and the given physician is considered as an essential prerequisite for the realisation of the standards of informed consent. PMID:16943326

Informed consent in neurosurgery--translating ethical theory into action.

PubMed

Schmitz, Dagmar; Reinacher, Peter C

2006-09-01

Although a main principle of medical ethics and law since the 1970s, standards of informed consent are regarded with great scepticism by many clinicans. By reviewing the reactions to and adoption of this principle of medical ethics in neurosurgery, the characteristic conflicts that emerge between theory and everyday clinical experience are emphasised and a modified conception of informed consent is proposed. The adoption and debate of informed consent in neurosurgery took place in two steps. Firstly, respect for patient autonomy was included into the ethical codes of the professional organisations. Secondly, the legal demands of the principle were questioned by clinicians. Informed consent is mainly interpreted in terms of freedom from interference and absolute autonomy. It lacks a constructive notion of physician-patient interaction in its effort to promote the best interest of the patient, which, however, potentially emerges from a reconsideration of the principle of beneficence. To avoid insufficient legal interpretations, informed consent should be understood in terms of autonomy and beneficence. A continuous interaction between the patient and the given physician is considered as an essential prerequisite for the realisation of the standards of informed consent.

Ethical Hacking in Information Security Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trabelsi, Zouheir; McCoey, Margaret

2016-01-01

Teaching offensive security (ethical hacking) is becoming a necessary component of information security curricula with a goal of developing better security professionals. The offensive security components extend curricula beyond system defense strategies. This paper identifies and discusses the learning outcomes achieved as a result of hands-on…

Human subject research: reporting ethics approval and informed consent in 3 chiropractic journals.

PubMed

Lawrence, Dana J

2011-11-01

To date, there have been no reports of ethics board approval or informed consent within the chiropractic literature or within chiropractic research. The purpose of this study was to assess the reporting of ethics approval and informed consent in articles published during the 2008 volume year of 3 chiropractic research journals included in PubMed. A quantitative assessment of the articles published in each journal for the 2008 volume year was performed. Information collected included if the article involved human subject research, if it reported ethics board approval, and if informed consent was given to subjects. Data were collected as descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages). In aggregate, 50 articles of a total of 143 published involved human subject research (35%). 44 reported ethics board approval (88%), and 28 reported that informed consent had been obtained (56%). Forty-five percent of articles published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved human subject research (39/87), of which 95% reported ethics board approval (37/39) and 64% reported informed consent (25/39); 12.5% of articles from the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association involved human subject research (5/40), of which 80% reported ethics board approval (4/5) and 40% reported informed consent (2/5); and 37.5% of articles published in Chiropractic and Osteopathy involved human subject research (6/16), of which 50% reported ethics board approval (3/6) and 17% reported informed consent (1/6). Overall, most articles reported ethics approval, and more than half reported consent. This was harmonious with research on this topic from other disciplines. This situation indicates a need for continued quality improvement and for better instruction and dissemination of information on these issues to researchers, to manuscript reviewers, to journal editors, and to the readers. Copyright © 2011 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby

Ethical issues with informed consent from potential living kidney donors.

PubMed

Petrini, C

2010-05-01

Living organ donation and participation in clinical research trials have several features in common from an ethical perspective. The primary similarity is risk justification: the risk of harm to living organ donors and clinical research participants is justified by a resulting benefit to one or more other individuals. Some authors hold that organ donation and clinical trial participation are full-fledged duties. Such an implicit likening of the two leads to several considerations regarding informed consent in each situation. Informed consent raises ethical concerns in every medical context, and some of those concerns, such as competence, understanding, autonomy, and free or voluntary choice, are uniquely relevant to living organ donation and clinical trial participation. Most countries regulate informed consent procedures for living organ donation in great detail, and although informed consent procedures for clinical trial participation are somewhat less detailed, their rules are subject to review by ethics committees. It would be constructive for research participation informed consent procedures and living organ donation informed consent procedures to learn from one another. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethics, informed consent, and assisted reproduction.

PubMed

Macklin, R

1995-09-01

Informed consent to treatment is an ethical requirement often misunderstood or not fully appreciated by physicians. The purpose of obtaining informed consent is to ensure that patients know what doctors propose to do and freely grant their permission. Although the purpose of informed consent and the standards by which it is to be employed are the same in all areas of medical practice, special problems arise in assisted reproduction. Voluntary, informed consent is an instance of a reproductive right that should be recognized by the international medical community, and not limited to Western and European countries.

76 FR 60837 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Contractor Business Ethics Compliance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

...; Information Collection; Contractor Business Ethics Compliance Program and Disclosure Requirements AGENCIES... concerning contractor business ethics compliance program and disclosure requirements. Public comments are... Collection 9000- 0164, Contractor Business Ethics Compliance Program and Disclosure Requirements, by any of...

Critical theory as an approach to the ethics of information security.

PubMed

Stahl, Bernd Carsten; Doherty, Neil F; Shaw, Mark; Janicke, Helge

2014-09-01

Information security can be of high moral value. It can equally be used for immoral purposes and have undesirable consequences. In this paper we suggest that critical theory can facilitate a better understanding of possible ethical issues and can provide support when finding ways of addressing them. The paper argues that critical theory has intrinsic links to ethics and that it is possible to identify concepts frequently used in critical theory to pinpoint ethical concerns. Using the example of UK electronic medical records the paper demonstrates that a critical lens can highlight issues that traditional ethical theories tend to overlook. These are often linked to collective issues such as social and organisational structures, which philosophical ethics with its typical focus on the individual does not tend to emphasise. The paper suggests that this insight can help in developing ways of researching and innovating responsibly in the area of information security.

78 FR 24469 - Proposed Information Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-25

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0750] Proposed Information Collection (Ethics... ethics consultation service. DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection of... information technology. Title: Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT), VA Form 10-0502. OMB Control Number...

78 FR 49335 - Agency Information Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) Activity Under OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0750] Agency Information Collection (Ethics...-0750''. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT), VA Form 10-10065... experience during the Ethics Consultation Service. VA will be used the data to improve the process of ethics...

Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility: Environmental Information Document

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haagenstad, H.T.; Gonzales, G.; Suazo, I.L.

1993-11-01

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the treatment of radioactive liquid waste is an integral function of the LANL mission: to assure U.S. military deterrence capability through nuclear weapons technology. As part of this mission, LANL conducts nuclear materials research and development (R&D) activities. These activities generate radioactive liquid waste that must be handled in a manner to ensure protection of workers, the public, and the environment. Radioactive liquid waste currently generated at LANL is treated at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF), located at Technical Area (TA)-50. The RLWTF is 30 years old and nearing the end ofmore » its useful design life. The facility was designed at a time when environmental requirements, as well as more effective treatment technologies, were not inherent in engineering design criteria. The evolution of engineering design criteria has resulted in the older technology becoming less effective in treating radioactive liquid wastestreams in accordance with current National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Department of Energy (DOE) regulatory requirements. Therefore, to support ongoing R&D programs pertinent to its mission, LANL is in need of capabilities to efficiently treat radioactive liquid waste onsite or to transport the waste off site for treatment and/or disposal. The purpose of the EID is to provide the technical baseline information for subsequent preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the RLWTF. This EID addresses the proposed action and alternatives for meeting the purpose and need for agency action.« less

Using Debates to Teach Information Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace, A. Graham

2011-01-01

This experience report details the use of debates in a course on Information Ethics. Formal debates have been used in academia for centuries and create an environment in which students must think critically, communicate well and, above all, synthesize and evaluate the relevant classroom material. They also provide a break from the standard…

Developing an informational tool for ethical engagement in medical tourism.

PubMed

Adams, Krystyna; Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Johnston, Rory

2017-08-25

Medical tourism, the practice of persons intentionally travelling across international boundaries to access medical care, has drawn increasing attention from researchers, particularly in relation to potential ethical concerns of this practice. Researchers have expressed concern for potential negative impacts to individual safety, public health within both countries of origin for medical tourists and destination countries, and global health equity. However, these ethical concerns are not discussed within the sources of information commonly provided to medical tourists, and as such, medical tourists may not be aware of these concerns when engaging in medical tourism. This paper describes the methodology utilized to develop an information sheet intended to be disseminated to Canadian medical tourists to encourage contemplation and further public discussion of the ethical concerns in medical tourism. The methodology for developing the information sheet drew on an iterative process to consider stakeholder feedback on the content and use of the information sheet as it might inform prospective medical tourists' decision making. This methodology includes a literature review as well as formative research with Canadian public health professionals and former medical tourists. The final information sheet underwent numerous revisions throughout the formative research process according to feedback from medical tourism stakeholders. These revisions focused primarily on making the information sheet concise with points that encourage individuals considering travelling for medical tourism to do further research regarding their safety both within the destination country, while travelling, and once returning to Canada, and the potential impacts of their trip on third parties. This methodology may be replicated for the development of information sheets intending to communicate ethical concerns of other practices to providers or consumers of a certain service.

Communication and Ethics: The Informal and Formal Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Thomas W.

1987-01-01

Noting that humans are educated more by than about the mass media, this paper argues that modern society has produced an informal (mediated) ethics curriculum which may be more powerful than the formal (institutionally educational) curriculum developed by academics and administrators. It first examines the informal curriculum, listing statistics…

77 FR 13490 - Rules of Organization; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-07

...; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission. ACTION: Final...: Shira Pavis Minton, Ethics Counsel, 202-551-7938, Office of the Ethics Counsel, Securities and Exchange... sent to the Office of the Ethics Counsel rather than the Secretary of the Commission and provide a...

[Ethical issues of new communication and information technologies applied in medicine].

PubMed

Tougourti, M Nejib; Ben Hamouda, Ibtissem; Hamza, Mohsen

2008-05-01

The fast development of New Communication and Information Technologies (NTIC) and their use in increasingly numerous fields in medicine; raised new ethical issues. The aim of this paper is to highlight ethical and deontological guidelines for health professionals and physicians which must guide their use of the NTIC. A research in the Anglophone and French medical literature and on the Internet, using various key words related to ethics and medical computing. Ethical issues are mainly related to the property, the access and the use of the broad data bases of medical records, the legal obligations and ethics which must govern the course of a teleconsultation or a therapeutic remote intervention and the rules which must define the relationship between the teleconsultants and their patients. The use, increasingly frequent, of various expert systems of decision-making and/or of expertise in various clinical settings, also, poses ethical problems relating to the reliability of such systems, the qualifications necessary for their application and the responsibility for their development, maintenance and use. Medical Information available on the Internet, of a very unequal and not controlled quality, raises many questions about the responsibility for the medical professionals in the education for the patients and their warning against sometimes erroneous information published on the Web. The ethical rules of research on the Internet must also be clearly formulated and diffused among the researchers. The general principles in front of an ethical problem related to the use of the NTIC remain based on the interest of the patient, the absence of a harmful effect, the respect of the professional secrecy and the safeguarding of the quality of the care and its conformity to the most recent scientific data.

Information, consent and treatment of patients with Morgellons disease: an ethical perspective.

PubMed

Söderfeldt, Ylva; Groß, Dominik

2014-04-01

Morgellons is a medically contested diagnosis with foremost dermatological symptoms. Patients experience fibers emerging from the skin, together with a range of other somatic, psychiatric, and neurological complaints. Within the medical community, it is generally held to be a variation of delusional parasitosis/delusional infestation, which is usually treated with antipsychotics. Little attention has been paid in the literature to the ethical aspects of treating patients with Morgellons disease. The communicative strategies suggested in the literature display significant ethical issues, primarily the use of therapeutic privilege, i.e. withholding information from the patient. Since this limits patient autonomy, that approach is ethically problematic. Instead, the physician has an ethical obligation to respect the patient's autonomy, provide full information, and seek consent before initiating a psychiatric referral.

The performance of ethics course for increasing students intention to blow the whistle using information technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munandar, Agus

2017-10-01

The profession of accounting believes that ethics is very important in the workplace. For that, profession recommends that ethics course should be taught for accounting student. Unfornutaly, the impact of ethics courses on accounting students intention to blow the whistle on organizational wrongdoing using information technology have not been determined. For that, this paper attempts to measure the impact of ethics courses on accounting student intention to blow the whistle on organizational wrongdoing. The research using experimental design for investigate the impact of ethic course on students intention to blow the whistle using IT. The respondents for this study are 40 accountig students. The respondent were given the ethical scenarios and were measured their intention to blow the whistle using information technology. This result of study reports that 70% of accounting student who completed ethic course indicated high intention to blow the whistle on organizational wrongdoing using information technology. Hence, ethics course is beneficial for increasing accounting professionalism especially their intentio to blow the whistle wrongdoing using information technology.

The Ethics of Information Use: A Guide for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Libraries in Canada, 2001

2001-01-01

Presents a resource on the ethics of the use of information developed by the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians Association which supplements the Information and Communication Technology Integration Project for teachers of grades 6-9. Highlights include plagiarism; resources sheets; citing references; Internet privacy; Internet communication; and…

Ethical principles of informed consent: exploring nurses' dual role of care provider and researcher.

PubMed

Judkins-Cohn, Tanya M; Kielwasser-Withrow, Kiersten; Owen, Melissa; Ward, Jessica

2014-01-01

This article describes the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice within the nurse researcher-participant relationship as these principles relate to the informed consent process for research. Within this process, the nurse is confronted with a dual role. This article describes how nurses, who are in the dual role of care provider and researcher, can apply these ethical principles to their practice in conjunction with the American Nurses Association's code of ethics for nurses. This article also describes, as an element of ethical practice, the importance of using participant-centered quality measures to aid informed decision making of participants in research. In addition, the article provides strategies for improving the informed consent process in nursing research. Finally, case scenarios are discussed, along with the application of ethical principles within the awareness of the dual role of the nurse as care provider and researcher. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Framing ethical acceptability: a problem with nuclear waste in Canada.

PubMed

Wilding, Ethan T

2012-06-01

Ethical frameworks are often used in professional fields as a means of providing explicit ethical guidance for individuals and institutions when confronted with ethically important decisions. The notion of an ethical framework has received little critical attention, however, and the concept subsequently lends itself easily to misuse and ambiguous application. This is the case with the 'ethical framework' offered by Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the crown-corporation which owns and is responsible for the long-term management of Canada's high-level nuclear fuel waste. It makes a very specific claim, namely that it is managing Canada's long-lived radioactive nuclear fuel waste in an ethically responsible manner. According to this organization, what it means to behave in an ethically responsible manner is to act and develop policy in accordance with its ethical framework. What, then, is its ethical framework, and can it be satisfied? In this paper I will show that the NWMO's ethical and social framework is deeply flawed in two respects: (a) it fails to meet the minimum requirements of a code of ethic or ethical framework by offering only questions, and no principles or rules of conduct; and (b) if posed as principles or rules of conduct, some of its questions are unsatisfiable. In particular, I will show that one of its claims, namely that it seek informed consent from individuals exposed to risk of harm from nuclear waste, cannot be satisfied as formulated. The result is that the NWMO's ethical framework is not, at present, ethically acceptable.

75 FR 42599 - Technical Amendment to Rules of Organization; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... Rules of Organization; Conduct and Ethics; and Information and Requests AGENCY: Securities and Exchange...). List of Subjects in 17 CFR Part 200 Rules of organization, Conduct and ethics, and Information and... Federal Regulations is amended as follows: PART 200--RULES OF ORGANIZATION; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND...

75 FR 26345 - Agency Information Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) New Enrollee Survey...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-11

... Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) New Enrollee Survey) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY...).'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT), VA Form 10-0502. OMB Control Number... collect data from patients and family members about their experience during the Ethics Consultation...

75 FR 9490 - Proposed Information Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) Activity: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-02

... Collection (Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT)) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Health... notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to improve the process of ethics.... Title: Ethics Consultation Feedback Tool (ECFT), VA Form 10-0502. OMB Control Number: 2900-New (VA Form...

Disclosure of information and informed consent: ethical and practical considerations.

PubMed

Steinberg, Avraham

2009-12-01

Disclosure of information and informed consent are relatively new concepts in the patient-physician relationship. They are based primarily on the principle of autonomy and they have many favorable practical advantages. However, the practical implementation of these requirements is fraught with difficulties, some of which can cause harm to the patient or be obstacles in fulfilling the moral obligation of beneficence. This is particularly true when disclosure of information and informed consent are done by physicians in a defensive way for fear of malpractice suits. The most ethically defensible approach is to tailor and navigate the information according to the needs and desires of each individual patient in a sensitive and empathic manner. The informed consent should be a process of mutually shared responsibility by the patient and the physician, ensuring adequate and relevant information that is well comprehended by the individual patient, and is used correctly for his or her decision making.

Examining Moral Judgment and Ethical Decision-Making in Information Technology Managers and Their Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahand, Assadullah

2010-01-01

Growing incidences of corporate ethical misconducts have revived the debate over ethical reasoning and moral development of corporate managers. The role of information technology (IT) in the ethical dilemmas is becoming more evident as virtual environments become increasingly popular, organizations adopt digital form of record keeping, and the…

WORK ETHICS, ORGANIZATIONAL ALIENATION AND JUSTICE AMONG HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS.

PubMed

Zadeh, Jamileh Mahdi; Kahouei, Mehdi; Cheshmenour, Omran; Sangestani, Sajjad

2016-06-01

Failure to comply with work ethics by employees working in Health Information Technology (HIT) Departments and their negative attitudes about organizational justice may have an adverse impact on patient satisfaction, quality of care, collecting health statistics, reimbursement, and management and planning at all levels of health care; it can also lead to unbearable damages to the health information system in the country. As so far there has been no research on HIT managers to assess the moral and ethical aspects of works and their relationship with organizational alienation and justice, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between work ethics and organizational justice and alienation among the HIT managers. This study was performed in affiliated hospitals of Semnan University of medical sciences in Semnan, Iran, in 2015. In this study, a census method was used. The data collection tool was a researcher made questionnaire. There was a negative and significant relationship between work ethic and organizational alienation (B= - 0.217, P<0.001), and there was also a positive and significant relationship between work ethic and organizational justice (B= 0.580, P<0.001). There were negative and significant relationships among between education level and work ethic (B= - 0.215, P=0.034) and organizational justice (B=- 0.147, P=0.047). The results of this study showed that the managers' attitude toward justice and equality in the organization can affect their organizational commitment and loyalty and thus have a significant impact on the work ethics in the work environment. On the other hand, with increasing the education level of the managers, they will have higher expectation of the justice in the organization, and they feel that the justice is not observed in the organization.

WORK ETHICS, ORGANIZATIONAL ALIENATION AND JUSTICE AMONG HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS

PubMed Central

Zadeh, Jamileh Mahdi; Kahouei, Mehdi; Cheshmenour, Omran; Sangestani, Sajjad

2016-01-01

Introduction: Failure to comply with work ethics by employees working in Health Information Technology (HIT) Departments and their negative attitudes about organizational justice may have an adverse impact on patient satisfaction, quality of care, collecting health statistics, reimbursement, and management and planning at all levels of health care; it can also lead to unbearable damages to the health information system in the country. As so far there has been no research on HIT managers to assess the moral and ethical aspects of works and their relationship with organizational alienation and justice, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between work ethics and organizational justice and alienation among the HIT managers. Methods: This study was performed in affiliated hospitals of Semnan University of medical sciences in Semnan, Iran, in 2015. In this study, a census method was used. The data collection tool was a researcher made questionnaire. Results: There was a negative and significant relationship between work ethic and organizational alienation (B= - 0.217, P<0.001), and there was also a positive and significant relationship between work ethic and organizational justice (B= 0.580, P<0.001). There were negative and significant relationships among between education level and work ethic (B= - 0.215, P=0.034) and organizational justice (B=- 0.147, P=0.047). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the managers’ attitude toward justice and equality in the organization can affect their organizational commitment and loyalty and thus have a significant impact on the work ethics in the work environment. On the other hand, with increasing the education level of the managers, they will have higher expectation of the justice in the organization, and they feel that the justice is not observed in the organization. PMID:27482167

Ethics in the Information Exploitation and Manipulation Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snow, Richard; Snow, Mary

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the need to educate and encourage students to seek an ethical realm in which the researcher not only accurately analyses and documents a problem, but also actually advocates involvement to mitigate negative impacts. Design/methodology/approach: Geographic information systems (GIS) applications are…

Assessing the Relationship between Ethical Project Management and Information Technology Project Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howell, Byron Winter

2010-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between ethical project management and information technology (IT) project success. The success of IT projects is important for organizational success, but the rate of IT projects is historically low, costing billions of dollars annually. Using four key ethical variables…

Ethical Issues Associated with Information and Communication Technology in Counseling and Guidance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, James P., Jr.; Makela, Julia Panke

2014-01-01

For more than 50 years, literature on the use of information and communication technology in counseling and guidance has presented ethical issues related to the development and use of technologies in practice. This paper reviews the ethical issues raised, organizing them into three categories: Social equity, resources, and services. Career…

The role of ethics in information technology decisions: a case-based approach to biomedical informatics education.

PubMed

Anderson, James G

2004-03-18

The purpose of this paper is to propose a case-based approach to instruction regarding ethical issues raised by the use of information technology (IT) in healthcare. These issues are rarely addressed in graduate degree and continuing professional education programs in health informatics. There are important reasons why ethical issues need to be addressed in informatics training. Ethical issues raised by the introduction of information technology affect practice and are ubiquitous. These issues are frequently among the most challenging to young practitioners who are ill prepared to deal with them in practice. First, the paper provides an overview of methods of moral reasoning that can be used to identify and analyze ethical problems in health informatics. Second, we provide a framework for defining cases that involve ethical issues and outline major issues raised by the use of information technology. Specific cases are used as examples of new dilemmas that are posed by the introduction of information technology in healthcare. These cases are used to illustrate how ethics can be integrated with the other elements of informatics training. The cases discussed here reflect day-to-day situations that arise in health settings that require decisions. Third, an approach that can be used to teach ethics in health informatics programs is outlined and illustrated.

Ethics and Information Technology: Some Principles To Guide Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodi, Sonia

1998-01-01

Discusses the ethical challenges of information technology, particularly electronic indexes and the Internet; considers principles to guide students; and discusses possible librarian responses. Topics include Kant's categorical imperative, ownership, right to privacy, social responsibility, self-respect, plagiarism and copyrights, and three…

40 CFR 26.1303 - Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ethical conduct of completed human research. 26.1303 Section 26.1303 Protection of Environment... on the Ethical Conduct of Completed Human Research § 26.1303 Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research. Any person who submits to EPA data derived from human...

40 CFR 26.1303 - Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ethical conduct of completed human research. 26.1303 Section 26.1303 Protection of Environment... on the Ethical Conduct of Completed Human Research § 26.1303 Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research. Any person who submits to EPA data derived from human...

40 CFR 26.1303 - Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ethical conduct of completed human research. 26.1303 Section 26.1303 Protection of Environment... on the Ethical Conduct of Completed Human Research § 26.1303 Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research. Any person who submits to EPA data derived from human...

40 CFR 26.1303 - Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ethical conduct of completed human research. 26.1303 Section 26.1303 Protection of Environment... on the Ethical Conduct of Completed Human Research § 26.1303 Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research. Any person who submits to EPA data derived from human...

40 CFR 26.1303 - Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ethical conduct of completed human research. 26.1303 Section 26.1303 Protection of Environment... on the Ethical Conduct of Completed Human Research § 26.1303 Submission of information pertaining to ethical conduct of completed human research. Any person who submits to EPA data derived from human...

Teaching Ethics Informed by Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayre, Molly Malany

2016-01-01

New findings about the brain are explicating how we make moral and ethical decisions. The neuroscience of morality is relevant to ethical decision making in social work because of a shared biopsychosocial perspective and the field's explanatory power to understand possible origins of universally accepted morals and personal attitudes at play in…

The ethics of research using biobanks: reason to question the importance attributed to informed consent.

PubMed

Hoeyer, Klaus; Olofsson, Bert-Ove; Mjörndal, Tom; Lynöe, Niels

2005-01-10

During the past decade, the use of stored tissue has become an object of increased ethical query. A Swedish biobank and a biotech company have been praised for solving the ethical problems with explicit informed consent procedures, and we decided to investigate donors' perceptions of the system. A questionnaire was sent to a randomized sample of 1200 donors who had donated blood and signed informed consent forms. The response rate was 80.9%. Of the respondents, 64.5% were aware that they had consented to donate a blood sample, 55.4% thought that they had consented to donate phenotypic information, and 31.6% believed that they could withdraw their consent. Among respondents, 3.9% considered informing donors about the research objective as the most important ethical issue in relation to biobanks, and 5.6% were unsatisfied with the information they had been given. There was 85.9% acceptance of surrogate decision making by regional research ethics committees. Considering that the donors in this study were not always aware of their donation but generally were not unsatisfied with the information they had received, and that they did not rate being informed about the research objective as an important issue, informed consent seems to be an inadequate measure of public acceptance of biobank-based research.

Delayed clarification: information, clarification and ethical decisions in critical care in Norway.

PubMed

Bunch, E H

2000-12-01

Following the analysis of about 150 hours of field observation on a critical care unit in Norway a theory was generated to explain the actual ethical decision-making process. This was grounded in the empirical reality of physicians, nurses and family. The core theme in this study was a delayed clarification in assessing the prognosis of accident victims with neurosurgical traumas. The physicians, nurses and family had to wait for the clinical picture to clarify, during which time there was an exchange and emergence of information. Exchanging information, a subprocess to delayed clarification, involved a continuous flow of collecting and dispersing information about the clinical status of the patient. The nurses engaged in two useful strategies: grading information to family when the patient prognosis was poor, and providing grieving strategies for themselves, colleagues and family members. The core variable, delayed clarification has three dimensions: clinical, psychological and ethical. The nurses participated in the decision-making process to discontinue treatment as passive participants, they did not engage in collegial deliberations with the physicians. Ethical dilemmas were end of life questions, resource allocations, and questions of justice and organ transplants.

Too much information: visual research ethics in the age of wearable cameras.

PubMed

Mok, Tze Ming; Cornish, Flora; Tarr, Jen

2015-06-01

When everything you see is data, what ethical principles apply? This paper argues that first-person digital recording technologies challenge traditional institutional approaches to research ethics, but that this makes ethics governance more important, not less so. We review evolving ethical concerns across four fields: Visual ethics; ubiquitous computing; mobile health; and grey literature from applied or market research. Collectively, these bodies of literature identify new challenges to traditional notions of informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, privacy, beneficence and maleficence. Challenges come from the ever-increasing power, breadth and multi-functional integration of recording technologies, and the ubiquity and normalization of their use by participants. Some authors argue that these evolving relationships mean that institutional ethics governance procedures are irrelevant or no longer apply. By contrast, we argue that the fundamental principles of research ethics frameworks have become even more important for the protection of research participants, and that institutional frameworks need to adapt to keep pace with the ever-increasing power of recording technologies and the consequent risks to privacy. We conclude with four recommendations for efforts to ensure that contemporary visual recording research is held appropriately accountable to ethical standards: (i) minimizing the detail, scope, integration and retention of captured data, and limiting its accessibility; (ii) formulating an approach to ethics that takes in both the 'common rule' approaches privileging anonymity and confidentiality together with principles of contextual judgement and consent as an ongoing process; (iii) developing stronger ethical regulation of research outside academia; (iv) engaging the public and research participants in the development of ethical guidelines.

Students' Ethical Decision-Making in an Information Technology Context: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riemenschneider, Cynthia K.; Leonard, Lori N. K.; Manly, Tracy S.

2011-01-01

Business educators have increased the focus on ethics in the classroom. In order for students to become ethical professionals, they must first be held to an ethical standard as students. As information technology continues to permeate every aspect of students' lives, it becomes increasingly important to understand student decision-making in this…

The Ethics of Information: Absolute Risk Reduction and Patient Understanding of Screening

PubMed Central

Meslin, Eric M.

2008-01-01

Some experts have argued that patients should routinely be told the specific magnitude and absolute probability of potential risks and benefits of screening tests. This position is motivated by the idea that framing risk information in ways that are less precise violates the ethical principle of respect for autonomy and its application in informed consent or shared decision-making. In this Perspective, we consider a number of problems with this view that have not been adequately addressed. The most important challenges stem from the danger that patients will misunderstand the information or have irrational responses to it. Any initiative in this area should take such factors into account and should consider carefully how to apply the ethical principles of respect for autonomy and beneficence. PMID:18421509

Ethical aspects in tissue research: thematic analysis of ethical statements to the research ethics committee

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Many studies have been published about ethics committees and the clarifications requested about the submitted applications. In Finland, ethics committees require a separate statement on ethical aspects of the research in applications to the ethics committee. However, little is known about how researchers consider the ethical aspects of their own studies. Methods The data were collected from all the applications received by the official regional ethics committee in the Hospital District of Northern Savo during 2004–2009 (n = 688). These included a total of 56 studies involving research on tissue other than blood. The statements by the researchers about the ethics about their own research in these applications were analyzed by thematic content analysis under the following themes: recruitment, informed consent, risks and benefits, confidentiality and societal meaning. Results The researchers tended to describe recruitment and informed consent process very briefly. Usually these descriptions simply stated who the recruiter was and that written consent would be required. There was little information provided on the recruitment situation and on how the study recruiters would be informed. Although most of the studies were clinical, the possibility was hardly ever discussed that patients could fail to distinguish between care and research. Conclusion The written guidelines, available on the webpages of the ethics committee, do not seem to be enough to help researchers achieve this goal. In addition to detailed guidelines for researchers, investigators need to be taught to appreciate the ethical aspects in their own studies. PMID:22873761

The Use of Informational Formats to Implement APA Ethical Principles in Collecting Classroom Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolly, John P.; And Others

1978-01-01

Providing more information about experimental studies than required under the ethical principles formulated by the American Psychological Association can result in data bias on a specific task; overall, however, the implementation of ethical principles has little effect on data collected in classroom settings. (RL)

Health care, ethics, and information technologies.

PubMed

Curtin, Leah

2002-06-01

This essay explores how ethics, computing, and health care intersect in medical informatics. It discusses the power technology places in the hands of health care professionals and the ethical problems they may encounter as a result of that power.

[Ethical reflection on multidisciplinarity and confidentiality of information in medical imaging through new information and communication technologies].

PubMed

Béranger, J; Le Coz, P

2012-05-01

Technological advances in medical imaging has resulted in the exponential increase of the number of images per examination, caused the irreversible decline of the silver film and imposed digital imaging. This digitization is a concept whose levels of development are multiple, reflecting the complexity of this process of technological change. Under these conditions, the use of medical information via new information and communication technologies is at the crossroads of several scientific approaches and several disciplines (medicine, ethics, law, economics, psychology, etc.) surrounding the information systems in health, doctor-patient relationship and concepts that are associated. Each day, these new information and communication technologies open up new horizons and the space of possibilities, spectacularly developing access to information and knowledge. In this perspective of digital technology emergence impacting the multidisciplinary use of health information systems, the ethical questions are numerous, especially on the preservation of privacy, confidentiality and security of medical data, and their accessibility and integrity. Copyright © 2012 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Case-Based Learning as Pedagogy for Teaching Information Ethics Based on the Dervin Sense-Making Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dow, Mirah J.; Boettcher, Carrie A.; Diego, Juana F.; Karch, Marziah E.; Todd-Diaz, Ashley; Woods, Kristine M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to determine the effectiveness of case-based pedagogy in teaching basic principles of information ethics and ethical decision making. Study reports results of pre- and post-assessment completed by 49 library and information science (LIS) graduate students at a Midwestern university. Using Creswell's…

Ethics of care in medical tourism: Informal caregivers' narratives of responsibility, vulnerability and mutuality.

PubMed

Whitmore, Rebecca; Crooks, Valorie A; Snyder, Jeremy

2015-09-01

This study examines the experiences of informal caregivers in medical tourism through an ethics of care lens. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 Canadians who had accompanied their friends or family members abroad for surgery, asking questions that dealt with their experiences prior to, during and after travel. Thematic analysis revealed three themes central to an ethics of care: responsibility, vulnerability and mutuality. Ethics of care theorists have highlighted how care has been historically devalued. We posit that medical tourism reproduces dominant narratives about care in a novel care landscape. Informal care goes unaccounted for by the industry, as it occurs in largely private spaces at a geographic distance from the home countries of medical tourists. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Nationwide Survey on Informed Consent and Ethical Review at Hospitals Conducting Post-marketing Studies Sponsored by Pharmaceutical Companies].

PubMed

Urushihara, Hisashi; Murakami, Yuka; Matsui, Kenji; Tashiro, Shimon

2018-01-01

 Under the Japanese drug regulatory system, post-marketing studies (PMS) must be in compliance with Good Post-marketing Study Practice (GPSP). The GPSP Ordinance lacks standards for the ethical conduct of PMSs; although only post-marketing clinical trials are subject to Good Clinical Practice. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey on the ethical conduct of PMSs in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists and pharmacists belonging to the Society. 1819 hospitals around Japan answered the questionnaire, of which 503 hospitals had conducted company-sponsored PMSs in 2015. 40.2% of the hospitals had obtained informed consent from participating patients in at least one PMS conducted in 2015, the majority of which was in written form. The first and second most frequent reasons for seeking informed consent in PMSs were to meet protocol requirements, followed by the requirement to meet institutional standard operational procedures and the request of the ethical review board of the hospital. Ethical review of PMSs was conducted in 251 hospitals. Despite a lack of standards for informed consent and ethical review in PMSs, a considerable number of study sites employed informed consent and ethical review for PMSs. While company policies and protocols are likely to be major determinants of the ethical conduct of PMSs, the governmental regulatory agency should also play a significant role in implementing a standardized ethical code for the conduct of PMSs.

Health Research Ethics: Between Ethics Codes and Culture.

PubMed

Gheondea-Eladi, Alexandra

2017-10-01

This article is meant to describe and analyze some of the ethical difficulties encountered in a pilot research on treatment decisions of patients with chronic viral hepatitis C infection in Romania. It departs from an overview of the main ethics codes, and it shows that social health research on patients falls in between institutional codes of ethics. Furthermore, the article moves on to analyze so-called "important moments" of empirical research, such as the implementation of the ethical protocol, dealing with informal payments and with information on shady actions, as well as requests of information from interviewed patients and deciding when and if to breach confidentiality. In an attempt to evaluate the ad hoc solutions found in the field, the concluding remarks discuss these issues at the threshold of theory and practice.

JEA's Code of Ethics for Advisers; and Sites for Additional Ethics Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, John

1997-01-01

Lists general principles that media advisers should follow, the 12 points agreed upon as the Journalism Education Association's (JEA) Code of Ethics for Advisers, and a list of Web sites that deal with journalism ethics. (PA)

Emergency communication and information issues in terrorist events involving radioactive materials.

PubMed

Becker, Steven M

2004-01-01

With the threat posed by terrorism involving radioactive materials now high on the nation's agenda, local, state, and federal agencies are moving to enhance preparedness and response capabilities. Crucial to these efforts is the development of effective risk communication strategies. This article reports findings from an ongoing study of risk communication issues in nuclear/radiological terrorism situations. It is part of a larger CDC-funded effort that aims to better understand communication challenges associated with weapons of mass destruction terrorism incidents. Presented here are formative research findings from 16 focus groups (n = 163) in which a multi-part, hypothetical radioactive materials terrorism situation was discussed. Twelve of the focus groups were carried out with members of the general public (drawn from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations), and four groups were composed of first responders, hospital emergency department personnel, and public health professionals. One aim of the focus groups was to elicit detailed information on people's knowledge, views, perceptions, reactions, and concerns related to a nuclear/radiological terrorism event, and to better understand people's specific information needs and preferred information sources. A second aim was to pretest draft informational materials prepared by CDC and NIOSH. Key findings for the public and professional groups are presented, and the implications of the research for developing messages in radiological/nuclear terrorism situations are explored.

Research ethics in dissertations: ethical issues and complexity of reasoning.

PubMed

Kjellström, S; Ross, S N; Fridlund, B

2010-07-01

Conducting ethically sound research is a fundamental principle of scientific inquiry. Recent research has indicated that ethical concerns are insufficiently dealt with in dissertations. To examine which research ethical topics were addressed and how these were presented in terms of complexity of reasoning in Swedish nurses' dissertations. Analyses of ethical content and complexity of ethical reasoning were performed on 64 Swedish nurses' PhD dissertations dated 2007. A total of seven ethical topics were identified: ethical approval (94% of the dissertations), information and informed consent (86%), confidentiality (67%), ethical aspects of methods (61%), use of ethical principles and regulations (39%), rationale for the study (20%) and fair participant selection (14%). Four of those of topics were most frequently addressed: the majority of dissertations (72%) included 3-5 issues. While many ethical concerns, by their nature, involve systematic concepts or metasystematic principles, ethical reasoning scored predominantly at lesser levels of complexity: abstract (6% of the dissertations), formal (84%) and systematic (10%). Research ethics are inadequately covered in most dissertations by nurses in Sweden. Important ethical concerns are missing, and the complexity of reasoning on ethical principles, motives and implications is insufficient. This is partly due to traditions and norms that discount ethical concerns but is probably also a reflection of the ability of PhD students and supervisors to handle complexity in general. It is suggested that the importance of ethical considerations should be emphasised in graduate and post-graduate studies and that individuals with capacity to deal with systematic and metasystematic concepts are recruited to senior research positions.

Ethics and childbirth educators: do your values cause you ethical distress?

PubMed

Ondeck, Michele

2009-01-01

The Code of Ethics for Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators outlines the ethical principles and standards that are derived from childbirth education's core values to assure quality and ethical practice. This article presents a summary of the history of ethics and medical ethics that informs a value-oriented decision-making process in childbirth education. The role of evidence in ethics is explored from the childbirth educator's viewpoint, and scenarios are used to reflect on situations that are examples of ethical distress. The conclusion is that the practice of ethics and ethical decision making includes regular reflection.

Ethics and Childbirth Educators: Do Your Values Cause You Ethical Distress?

PubMed Central

Ondeck, Michele

2009-01-01

The Code of Ethics for Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators outlines the ethical principles and standards that are derived from childbirth education's core values to assure quality and ethical practice. This article presents a summary of the history of ethics and medical ethics that informs a value-oriented decision-making process in childbirth education. The role of evidence in ethics is explored from the childbirth educator's viewpoint, and scenarios are used to reflect on situations that are examples of ethical distress. The conclusion is that the practice of ethics and ethical decision making includes regular reflection. PMID:19436591

Medical ethics and ethical dilemmas.

PubMed

Iyalomhe, G B S

2009-01-01

Ethical problems routinely arise in the hospital and outpatient practice settings and times of dilemma do occur such that practitioners and patients are at cross-roads where choice and decision making become difficult in terms of ethics. This paper attempts a synopsis of the basic principles of medical ethics, identifies some ethical dilemmas that doctors often encounter and discusses some strategies to address them as well as emphasizes the need for enhanced ethics education both for physicians and patients particularly in Nigeria. Literature and computer programmes (Medline and PsychoInfo databases) were searched for relevant information. The search showed that the fundamental principles suggested by ethicists to assist doctors to evaluate the ethics of a situation while making a decision include respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Although the above principles do not give answers as to how to handle a particular situation, they serve as a guide to doctors on what principles ought to apply to actual circumstances. The principles sometimes conflict with each other leading to ethical dilemmas when applied to issues such as abortion, contraception, euthanasia, professional misconduct, confidentiality truth telling, professional relationship with relatives, religion, traditional medicine and business concerns. Resolution of dilemmas demand the best of the doctor's knowledge of relevant laws and ethics, his training and experience, his religious conviction and moral principles as well as his readiness to benefit from ethics consultation and the advice of his colleagues. Ethics education should begin from the impressionable age in homes, continued in the medical schools and after graduation to ensure that doctors develop good ethical practices and acquire the ability to effectively handle ethical dilemmas. Also, education of patients and sanction of unethical behaviour will reduce ethical dilemmas.

Ethical considerations in internet use of electronic protected health information.

PubMed

Polito, Jacquelyn M

2012-03-01

Caregivers, patients, and their family members are increasingly reliant on social network websites for storing, communicating, and referencing medical information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule seeks balance by protecting the privacy of patients' health information and assuring that this information is available to those who need it to provide health care. Though federal and state governments have created laws and policies to safeguard patient privacy and confidentiality, the laws are inadequate against the rapid and innovative use of electronic health websites. As Internet use broadens access to information, health professionals must be aware that this information is not always secure. We must identify and reflect on medical ethics issues and be accountable for maintaining privacy for the patient.

Utilizing Social Media to Study Information-Seeking and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy

PubMed Central

Robillard, Julie M; Whiteley, Louise; Johnson, Thomas Wade; Lim, Jonathan; Wasserman, Wyeth W

2013-01-01

Background The field of gene therapy is rapidly evolving, and while hopes of treating disorders of the central nervous system and ethical concerns have been articulated within the academic community, little is known about views and opinions of different stakeholder groups. Objective To address this gap, we utilized social media to investigate the kind of information public users are seeking about gene therapy and the hopes, concerns, and attitudes they express. Methods We conducted a content analysis of questions containing the keywords “gene therapy” from the Q&A site “Yahoo! Answers” for the 5-year period between 2006 and 2010. From the pool of questions retrieved (N=903), we identified those containing at least one theme related to ethics, environment, economics, law, or society (n=173) and then characterized the content of relevant answers (n=399) through emergent coding. Results The results show that users seek a wide range of information regarding gene therapy, with requests for scientific information and ethical issues at the forefront of enquiry. The question sample reveals high expectations for gene therapy that range from cures for genetic and nongenetic diseases to pre- and postnatal enhancement of physiological attributes. Ethics questions are commonly expressed as fears about the impact of gene therapy on self and society. The answer sample echoes these concerns but further suggests that the acceptability of gene therapy varies depending on the specific application. Conclusions Overall, the findings highlight the powerful role of social media as a rich resource for research into attitudes toward biomedicine and as a platform for knowledge exchange and public engagement for topics relating to health and disease. PMID:23470490

Utilizing social media to study information-seeking and ethical issues in gene therapy.

PubMed

Robillard, Julie M; Whiteley, Louise; Johnson, Thomas Wade; Lim, Jonathan; Wasserman, Wyeth W; Illes, Judy

2013-03-04

The field of gene therapy is rapidly evolving, and while hopes of treating disorders of the central nervous system and ethical concerns have been articulated within the academic community, little is known about views and opinions of different stakeholder groups. To address this gap, we utilized social media to investigate the kind of information public users are seeking about gene therapy and the hopes, concerns, and attitudes they express. We conducted a content analysis of questions containing the keywords "gene therapy" from the Q&A site "Yahoo! Answers" for the 5-year period between 2006 and 2010. From the pool of questions retrieved (N=903), we identified those containing at least one theme related to ethics, environment, economics, law, or society (n=173) and then characterized the content of relevant answers (n=399) through emergent coding. The results show that users seek a wide range of information regarding gene therapy, with requests for scientific information and ethical issues at the forefront of enquiry. The question sample reveals high expectations for gene therapy that range from cures for genetic and nongenetic diseases to pre- and postnatal enhancement of physiological attributes. Ethics questions are commonly expressed as fears about the impact of gene therapy on self and society. The answer sample echoes these concerns but further suggests that the acceptability of gene therapy varies depending on the specific application. Overall, the findings highlight the powerful role of social media as a rich resource for research into attitudes toward biomedicine and as a platform for knowledge exchange and public engagement for topics relating to health and disease.

Ethical and practical challenges in implementing informed consent in HIV/AIDS clinical trials in developing or resource-limited countries.

PubMed

Mystakidou, Kyriaki; Panagiotou, Irene; Katsaragakis, Stelios; Tsilika, Eleni; Parpa, Efi

2009-09-01

Ethical issues regarding HIV/AIDS human research in the developing world remain under continuous evaluation; a critical area of concern includes informed consent. This paper reviews several of the most important ethical and practical aspects of informed consent in HIV research in developing countries. Enhancement of overall understanding of such key issues might promote higher ethical standards of future research. The major objective was to address informed consent in human research in non-Western societies, and specifically in HIV clinical trials of affected adults. Secondary end-points included the consent complexities in HIV research involving vulnerable patient populations in resource-limited nations, such as children, adolescents and women. A systematic review of the published literature using MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1998 until December 2008 was performed, using the search terms 'HIV/AIDS', 'informed consent', 'clinical trials', 'developing world'. Ethical complexities such as participants' diminished autonomy, coercion or monetary inducement, language difficulties, illiteracy or lack of true understanding of the entire study, cultural barriers mainly due to communitarianism and social diversities were identified in the 44 studies reviewed. Informed consent of vulnerable patient populations must be tailored to their sex and developmental age, while counselling is fundamental. Children and adolescents' assent must be ensured. Local language is to be used, while trusted community leaders and local cultural representatives may convey information. Despite the heterogeneity of studies, similarities were identified. Providing adequate and comprehensive information and assessing the true understanding of the research represent fundamental prerequisites. Potential solutions to the critical areas of concern include peer counselling and meetings with local community leaders or local cultural representatives. International investigators of HIV human research should bear

Integrating natural and social sciences to inspire public confidence in radioactive waste policy case study - Committee on radioactive waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Usher, Sam

2007-07-01

Integrating Natural and Social Sciences to Inspire Public Confidence in Radioactive Waste Policy Case Study: Committee on Radioactive Waste Management Implementing effective long-term radioactive waste management policy is challenging, and both UK and international experience is littered with policy and programme failures. Policy must not only be underpinned by sound science and technical rationale, it must also inspire the confidence of the public and other stakeholders. However, in today's modern society, communities will not simply accept the word of scientists for setting policy based purely on technical grounds. This is particularly so in areas where there are significant social andmore » ethical issues, such as radioactive waste disposal. To develop and implement effective policy, governments, waste owners and implementing bodies must develop processes which effectively integrate both complex technical and scientific issues, with equally challenging social and ethical concerns. These integrating processes must marry often intricate technical issues with broad public and stakeholder engagement programmes, in programmes which can expect the highest levels of public scrutiny, and must invariably be delivered within challenging time and budget constraints. This paper considers a model for how such integrating processes can be delivered. The paper reviews, as a case study, how such challenges were overcome by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which, in July 2006, made recommendations to the UK government for the establishment of a long-term radioactive waste policy. Its recommendations were underpinned by sound science, but also engendered public confidence through undertaking the largest and most significant deliberative public and stakeholder engagement programme on a complex policy issue in the UK. Effective decision-making was enabled through the integration of both proven and bespoke methodologies, including Multi-criteria Decision

PATIENT'S RIGHT TO INFORMED CONSENT IN REPUBLIC SRPSKA: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PHYSICAL REHABILITATION).

PubMed

Milinkovic, Igor; Majstorovic, Biljana

2014-12-01

The principle of informed consent, which requires a patient's fully-informed consent prior to the medical treatment, is closely connected with the value of human dignity. The realization and protection of a patient's dignity is not possible without his/her right to choose the character and scope of medical treatment. This goal cannot be adequately achieved within the traditional model of medical paternalism characterized by the physician's authoritative position. The first part of the article deals with the content and ethical significance of the informed consent doctrine. The legal framework of informed consent in Republic Srpska (RS), one of the two Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH)entities, is analyzed. Special reference is made to the relevance of the informed consent principle within the physical rehabilitation process. Although ethical aspects of physical rehabilitation are often overlooked, this medical field possesses a strong ethical dimension (including an appropriate realization of the patient's right to informed consent).

Informed consent to opioid agonist maintenance treatment: recommended ethical guidelines.

PubMed

Carter, Adrian; Hall, Wayne

2008-02-01

Some bioethicists have questioned whether opioid addicted individuals are able to provide free and informed consent to opioid agonist maintenance treatment. Conflicting motives for providing such treatment (e.g. improving the personal health of addicts and protecting public health and order) can also influence what individuals are required to consent to, and how that consent is obtained. We discuss both issues and attempt to specify the conditions for obtaining informed consent to agonist maintenance treatment for opioid addiction. We briefly review the neuroscientific literature on the effects of addiction on the autonomy and decision-making capacity of opioid dependent individuals, and ascertain how informed consent to the treatment of opioid addiction should be obtained. We also provide an ethical analysis of the competing social and medical forces that influence the consent process and make some recommendations on how to ensure that individuals enter maintenance treatment that is provided in an effective and ethical way. Our analysis shows that whilst the autonomy of opioid dependent individuals is impaired by their addiction, they do retain the ability to consent to treatment provided they are not in acute withdrawal or intoxication. These symptoms should have abated, either by supervised withdrawal or stabilisation on agonist maintenance, before they are asked to consent to a detailed treatment contract. Once stabilised, individuals should be provided with detailed information about the risks and benefits of all treatments, and restrictions and regulations under which they are provided. Informed consent is an important part of the treatment process that should be obtained in ways that increase the autonomy and decision-making capacity in opioid addicts.

Legal, cultural and ethical considerations on the informing of the cancer patient: a perspective from Greece.

PubMed

Kousathana, L; Kousathana, F; Karamanou, M; Kousoulis, A A

2013-01-01

To discuss the current official legal position of the Greek Council and the official international statement on the subject, as well as the emerging cultural and moral aspects on the issue of informing the cancer patient. Perusal of national and international legal and ethics sources, under a multidisciplinary perspective. According to the Council of State of Greece the violation of informing the patient by the physician constitutes urban liability and disciplinary offence. The Greek Code of Medical Ethics declares that the physician is obliged to inform his patient about his health and respect the desire of the patient who decides not to be informed. The UNESCO declaration does not seem to clarify the subject. In Greece, physicians have the tendency to tell the truth more often today than in the past, reflecting the global tendency, although the majority still discloses the truth to the next of kin. The difference in the tactics of informing in several nations reflects huge cultural, social, economic and religious differences in each society. Well informed and knowledgeable health-care and legal professionals, alongside with patients and ethical directors, should sit at the same table in order to productively discuss the most sensitive matters of the contemporary medical practice.

Ethics of emergent information and communication technology applications in humanitarian medical assistance.

PubMed

Hunt, Matthew; Pringle, John; Christen, Markus; Eckenwiler, Lisa; Schwartz, Lisa; Davé, Anushree

2016-07-01

New applications of information and communication technology (ICT) are shaping the way we understand and provide humanitarian medical assistance in situations of disaster, disease outbreak or conflict. Each new crisis appears to be accompanied by advancements in humanitarian technology, leading to significant improvements in the humanitarian aid sector. However, ICTs raise ethical questions that warrant attention. Focusing on the context of humanitarian medical assistance, we review key domains of ICT innovation. We then discuss ethical challenges and uncertainties associated with the development and application of new ICTs in humanitarian medical assistance, including avoiding harm, ensuring privacy and security, responding to inequalities, demonstrating respect, protecting relationships, and addressing expectations. In doing so, we emphasize the centrality of ethics in humanitarian ICT design, application and evaluation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethics rounds: An appreciated form of ethics support.

PubMed

Silén, Marit; Ramklint, Mia; Hansson, Mats G; Haglund, Kristina

2016-03-01

Ethics rounds are one way to support healthcare personnel in handling ethically difficult situations. A previous study in the present project showed that ethics rounds did not result in significant changes in perceptions of how ethical issues were handled, that is, in the ethical climate. However, there was anecdotal evidence that the ethics rounds were viewed as a positive experience and that they stimulated ethical reflection. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how the ethics rounds were experienced and why the intervention in the form of ethics rounds did not succeed in improving the ethical climate for the staff. An exploratory and descriptive design with a qualitative approach was adopted, using individual interviews. A total of 11 healthcare personnel, working in two different psychiatry outpatient clinics and with experience of participating in ethics rounds, were interviewed. The study was based on informed consent and was approved by one of the Swedish Regional Ethical Review Boards. The participants were generally positive about the ethics rounds. They had experienced changes by participating in the ethics rounds in the form of being able to see things from different perspectives as well as by gaining insight into ethical issues. However, these changes had not affected daily work. A crucial question is whether or not increased reflection ability among the participants is a good enough outcome of ethics rounds and whether this result could have been measured in patient-related outcomes. Ethics rounds might foster cooperation among the staff and this, in turn, could influence patient care. By listening to others during ethics rounds, a person can learn to see things from a new angle. Participation in ethics rounds can also lead to better insight concerning ethical issues. © The Author(s) 2014.

Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics.

PubMed

Strech, Daniel; Hirschberg, Irene; Meyer, Antje; Baum, Annika; Hainz, Tobias; Neitzke, Gerald; Seidel, Gabriele; Dierks, Marie-Luise

2015-01-01

Informing lay citizens about complex health-related issues and their related ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) is one important component of democratic health care/research governance. Public information activities may be especially valuable when they are used in multi-staged processes that also include elements of information and deliberation. This paper presents a new model for a public involvement activity on ELSA (Ethics University) and evaluation data for a pilot event. The Ethics University is structurally based on the "patient university," an already established institution in some German medical schools, and the newly developed concept of "ethics literacy." The concept of "ethics literacy" consists of three levels: information, interaction, and reflection. The pilot project consisted of two series of events (lasting 4 days each). The thematic focus of the Ethics University pilot was ELSA of regenerative medicine. In this pilot, the concept of "ethics literacy" could be validated as its components were clearly visible in discussions with participants at the end of the event. The participants reacted favorably to the Ethics University by stating that they felt more educated with regard to the ELSA of regenerative medicine and with regard to their own abilities in normative reasoning on this topic. The Ethics University is an innovative model for public involvement and empowerment activities on ELSA theoretically underpinned by a concept for "ethics literacy." This model deserves further refinement, testing in other ELSA topics and evaluation in outcome research.

Ethical issues in bipolar disorders pedigree research: privacy concerns, informed consent, and grounds for waiver.

PubMed

Parker, Lisa S

2002-02-01

Focusing on bipolar disorders research, this article considers ethical issues of informed consent and privacy arising in genetic pedigree research at two stages: the construction of tentative pedigrees to determine family eligibility for study and, subsequently, the enrollment of subjects in and conduct of the family study. Increasing concern to protect the privacy of family members of primary subjects or probands, following ethical controversy over a survey study at Virginia Commonwealth University, has led some researchers and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to apply informed consent requirements to those represented on a tentative pedigree at the initial stage of research. This article analyzes the possible benefits, risks, and burdens to prospective subjects of seeking prospective consent for pedigree construction at this initial stage. It argues that the likely risk-benefit ratio favors granting a waiver of consent requirements for this stage of pedigree research and presents grounds for IRBs to grant such a waiver. The article closes by considering particular ethical concerns that should be addressed in the informed consent discussion when enrolling subjects in pedigree studies of bipolar disorder, including concerns about subjects' competence to consent, management of interim and incidental findings, and issues particular to psychiatric research.

From environmental to ecological ethics: toward a practical ethics for ecologists and conservationists.

PubMed

Minteer, Ben A; Collins, James P

2008-12-01

Ecological research and conservation practice frequently raise difficult and varied ethical questions for scientific investigators and managers, including duties to public welfare, nonhuman individuals (i.e., animals and plants), populations, and ecosystems. The field of environmental ethics has contributed much to the understanding of general duties and values to nature, but it has not developed the resources to address the diverse and often unique practical concerns of ecological researchers and managers in the field, lab, and conservation facility. The emerging field of "ecological ethics" is a practical or scientific ethics that offers a superior approach to the ethical dilemmas of the ecologist and conservation manager. Even though ecological ethics necessarily draws from the principles and commitments of mainstream environmental ethics, it is normatively pluralistic, including as well the frameworks of animal, research, and professional ethics. It is also methodologically pragmatic, focused on the practical problems of researchers and managers and informed by these problems in turn. The ecological ethics model offers environmental scientists and practitioners a useful analytical tool for identifying, clarifying, and harmonizing values and positions in challenging ecological research and management situations. Just as bioethics provides a critical intellectual and problem-solving service to the biomedical community, ecological ethics can help inform and improve ethical decision making in the ecology and conservation communities.

Information Strategy of Nuclear Training Center Ljubljana in the Area of Radioactive Waste Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeneie, I.

2008-07-01

Slovenia has plans to build a repository for low- and medium-radioactive waste by 2013, the location in the very neighborhood of nuclear power plant is almost chosen, but the final approval hasn't been granted yet. The main obstacle is public opinion. Public information activities are therefore vitally important. One of the most important players in this area in Slovenia is Nuclear Training Center in Ljubljana. Though its main task is training of nuclear professionals, it has a significant role in dissemination of knowledge about radioactivity and nuclear technology also among general public. Public information is focused on youngsters. Almost onemore » half of every generation of schoolchildren in Slovenia visits the Information center yearly and in May 2007, we have celebrated the 100,000. visitor since its opening. Live lectures, exhibition, publications and laboratory demonstrations are offered. To measure the opinion of youngsters about nuclear power and get a feed-back for our activities about 1000 youngsters are polled every year since 1993 using the same basic set of questions. The paper describes the information strategy, types of lectures and information materials, permanent exhibition with the most important exhibits. Furthermore, the results of yearly polls of our visitors and comparison with relevant Euro-barometer polls are presented. (authors)« less

Radioactive Wastes. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Charles H.

This publication is one of a series of information booklets for the general public published by the United States Atomic Energy Commission. This booklet deals with the handling, processing and disposal of radioactive wastes. Among the topics discussed are: The Nature of Radioactive Wastes; Waste Management; and Research and Development. There are…

Confidentiality, Informed Consent, and Ethical Considerations in Reviewing the Client's Psychotherapy Records

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blunt, David R.

2006-01-01

Ethical dilemmas that break the confidentiality of the client eventually test the psychologist's boundaries such that not taking action may place the patient in a position where they suffer, hurt themselves, or others. The effectiveness in obtaining a valid informed consent might depend upon the therapists training, experience, and sound judgment…

What is data ethics?

PubMed

Floridi, Luciano; Taddeo, Mariarosaria

2016-12-28

This theme issue has the founding ambition of landscaping data ethics as a new branch of ethics that studies and evaluates moral problems related to data (including generation, recording, curation, processing, dissemination, sharing and use), algorithms (including artificial intelligence, artificial agents, machine learning and robots) and corresponding practices (including responsible innovation, programming, hacking and professional codes), in order to formulate and support morally good solutions (e.g. right conducts or right values). Data ethics builds on the foundation provided by computer and information ethics but, at the same time, it refines the approach endorsed so far in this research field, by shifting the level of abstraction of ethical enquiries, from being information-centric to being data-centric. This shift brings into focus the different moral dimensions of all kinds of data, even data that never translate directly into information but can be used to support actions or generate behaviours, for example. It highlights the need for ethical analyses to concentrate on the content and nature of computational operations-the interactions among hardware, software and data-rather than on the variety of digital technologies that enable them. And it emphasizes the complexity of the ethical challenges posed by data science. Because of such complexity, data ethics should be developed from the start as a macroethics, that is, as an overall framework that avoids narrow, ad hoc approaches and addresses the ethical impact and implications of data science and its applications within a consistent, holistic and inclusive framework. Only as a macroethics will data ethics provide solutions that can maximize the value of data science for our societies, for all of us and for our environments.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

What is data ethics?

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This theme issue has the founding ambition of landscaping data ethics as a new branch of ethics that studies and evaluates moral problems related to data (including generation, recording, curation, processing, dissemination, sharing and use), algorithms (including artificial intelligence, artificial agents, machine learning and robots) and corresponding practices (including responsible innovation, programming, hacking and professional codes), in order to formulate and support morally good solutions (e.g. right conducts or right values). Data ethics builds on the foundation provided by computer and information ethics but, at the same time, it refines the approach endorsed so far in this research field, by shifting the level of abstraction of ethical enquiries, from being information-centric to being data-centric. This shift brings into focus the different moral dimensions of all kinds of data, even data that never translate directly into information but can be used to support actions or generate behaviours, for example. It highlights the need for ethical analyses to concentrate on the content and nature of computational operations—the interactions among hardware, software and data—rather than on the variety of digital technologies that enable them. And it emphasizes the complexity of the ethical challenges posed by data science. Because of such complexity, data ethics should be developed from the start as a macroethics, that is, as an overall framework that avoids narrow, ad hoc approaches and addresses the ethical impact and implications of data science and its applications within a consistent, holistic and inclusive framework. Only as a macroethics will data ethics provide solutions that can maximize the value of data science for our societies, for all of us and for our environments. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The ethical impact of data science’. PMID:28336805

Competition and Sensemaking in Ethical Situations.

PubMed

Caughron, Jay J; Antes, Alison L; Stenmark, Cheryl K; Thiel, Chaise E; Wang, Xiaoqian; Mumford, Michael D

2013-07-01

Intra-organizational competition was examined in relation to ethicality. The effect of a competitor being an in-group versus and out-group member, competitor offering uncorroborated or corroborated information, and the impact of the competitor expressing selfish, pro-group, or pro-organizational level goals were examined. Findings suggest that the way competition is presented has an important influence on how well individuals are able to make sense of an ethically ambiguous situation and render an ethical decision. A main effect for information sharing was found, such that when a competitor offers uncorroborated information participants made less ethical decisions and used pro-ethical reasoning strategies less often. An additional main effect was found suggesting that participants made more ethical decisions when working with an in-group competitor rather than an out-group competitor. Complex interactive effects were also found and discussed suggesting that pro-ethical reasoning strategies may be used less often depending on information corroboration, the competitor's relative group membership status, and the motives expressed by the competitor.

Competition and Sensemaking in Ethical Situations

PubMed Central

Caughron, Jay J.; Antes, Alison L.; Stenmark, Cheryl K.; Thiel, Chaise E.; Wang, Xiaoqian; Mumford, Michael D.

2015-01-01

Intra-organizational competition was examined in relation to ethicality. The effect of a competitor being an in-group versus and out-group member, competitor offering uncorroborated or corroborated information, and the impact of the competitor expressing selfish, pro-group, or pro-organizational level goals were examined. Findings suggest that the way competition is presented has an important influence on how well individuals are able to make sense of an ethically ambiguous situation and render an ethical decision. A main effect for information sharing was found, such that when a competitor offers uncorroborated information participants made less ethical decisions and used pro-ethical reasoning strategies less often. An additional main effect was found suggesting that participants made more ethical decisions when working with an in-group competitor rather than an out-group competitor. Complex interactive effects were also found and discussed suggesting that pro-ethical reasoning strategies may be used less often depending on information corroboration, the competitor’s relative group membership status, and the motives expressed by the competitor. PMID:26778850

Ethics in medical information and advertising.

PubMed

Serour, G I; Dickens, B M

2004-05-01

This article presents findings and recommendations of an international conference held in Cairo, Egypt in 2003 concerning issues of ethical practice in how information is provided to and by medical practitioners. Professional advertising to practitioners and the public is necessary, but should exclude misrepresentation of qualifications, resources, and authorship of research papers. Medical institutions are responsible for how staff members present themselves, and their institutions. Medical associations, both governmental licensing authorities and voluntary societies, have powers and responsibilities to monitor professional advertisement to defend the public interest against deception. Medical journals bear duties to ensure authenticity of authorship and integrity in published papers, and the scientific basis of commercial advertisers' claims. A mounting concern is authors' conflict of interest. Mass newsmedia must ensure accuracy and proportionality in reporting scientific developments, and product manufacturers must observe truth in advertising, particularly in Direct-to-Consumer advertising. Consumer protection by government agencies is a continuing responsibility.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer in Oregon: expanding the pluripotent space and informing research ethics.

PubMed

Lomax, Geoffrey P; DeWitt, Natalie D

2013-12-01

In May, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) announced the successful derivation, by the Mitalipov laboratory, of embryonic stem cells by somatic cell nuclear transfer. This experiment was recognized as a "formidable technical feat" and potentially a key step toward developing cell-based therapies. The OHSU report is also an example of how a scientific breakthrough can inform research ethics. This article suggests ways that nuclear transfer embryonic stem cell lines may contribute to research ethics by adding rigor to studies addressing pressing research questions important to the development of cell-based therapies.

The Satisfaction and Use of Research Ethics Board Information Systems in Canada.

PubMed

Detlor, Brian; Wilson, Michael J

2015-10-01

This article reports findings from a national survey of Research Ethics Board (REB) personnel across Canada on the satisfaction and use of information systems that support the review and administration of research ethics protocols. Findings indicate that though a wide variety of REB systems are utilized, the majority fall short of desired characteristics. Despite these shortcomings, most respondents are satisfied with their current REB systems. Satisfaction is dependent on the volume of protocols processed in relation to the robustness of the system. Boards with higher volumes are more satisfied with full-fledged systems; however, the satisfaction of REBs with lower volumes is not affected by the robustness of the REB system used. Recommendations are provided. © The Author(s) 2015.

Different concepts and models of information for family-relevant genetic findings: comparison and ethical analysis.

PubMed

Lenk, Christian; Frommeld, Debora

2015-08-01

Genetic predispositions often concern not only individual persons, but also other family members. Advances in the development of genetic tests lead to a growing number of genetic diagnoses in medical practice and to an increasing importance of genetic counseling. In the present article, a number of ethical foundations and preconditions for this issue are discussed. Four different models for the handling of genetic information are presented and analyzed including a discussion of practical implications. The different models' ranges of content reach from a strictly autonomous position over self-governed arrangements in the practice of genetic counseling up to the involvement of official bodies and committees. The different models show a number of elements which seem to be very useful for the handling of genetic data in families from an ethical perspective. In contrast, the limitations of the standard medical attempt regarding confidentiality and personal autonomy in the context of genetic information in the family are described. Finally, recommendations for further ethical research and the development of genetic counseling in families are given.

Screening the use of informed consent forms prior to procedures involving operative dentistry: ethical aspects

PubMed Central

Graziele Rodrigues, Livia; De Souza, João Batista; De Torres, Erica Miranda; Ferreira Silva, Rhonan

2017-01-01

Background. The present study aimed to screen the knowledge and attitudes of dentists toward the use of informed consent forms prior to procedures involving operative dentistry. Methods. A research tool containing questions (questionnaire) regarding the use of informed consent forms was developed. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions structured to screen the current practice in operative dentistry towards the use of informed consent forms. Results. The questionnaires were distributed among 731 dentists, of which 179 returned them with answers. Sixty-seven dentists reported not using informed consent forms. The main reasons for not using informed consent forms were: having a complete dental record signed by the patient (67.2%) and having a good relation with patients (43.6%). The dentists who reported using informed consent forms revealed that they obtained them from other dentists and made their own modifications (35.9%). Few dentists revealed contacting lawyers (1.7%) and experts in legal dentistry (0.9%) for the development of their informed consent forms. Conclusion. A high number of dentists working in the field of operative dentistry behave according to the ethical standards in the clinical practice, becoming unprotected against ethical and legal actions. PMID:28413600

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF FOOD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setter, L.R.

The environment and, consequently, food contains measurable amounts of radionuclides arising primarily from the distribution of nuclear bomb debris over the entire earth's surface. This radioactivity is in addition to natural radioactivity which exists in thc environment. A wealth of information has been gathered on the artificial radioactivity in air, water, vegetation, and soil; on physical and chemical mechanisms of radioaetive movement in the biosphere; and on the biologic behavior of radionuclide uptake by animals and human beings and their distribution in excretions and secretions. Collection of additional information under more carefully designed and executed studies is under way. Theremore » remains the task of marshalling and reviewing the data obtained during active fall-out up to the summer of 1959. With later information collected during a period of substantially no fall-out, the interpretation of these data hopefully will indicate the relative magnitude of physical, chemical, and biologic factors influencing levels in plants and animals, provide a means of predicting future levels, and, most important, permit some evaluation of the effects of nuclear radiation from ingestion of contaminated food as a part of the total effects from fall-out and from natural radioactivity. (auth)« less

How virtue ethics informs medical professionalism.

PubMed

McCammon, Susan D; Brody, Howard

2012-12-01

We argue that a turn toward virtue ethics as a way of understanding medical professionalism represents both a valuable corrective and a missed opportunity. We look at three ways in which a closer appeal to virtue ethics could help address current problems or issues in professionalism education-first, balancing professionalism training with demands for professional virtues as a prerequisite; second, preventing demands for the demonstrable achievement of competencies from working against ideal professionalism education as lifelong learning; and third, avoiding temptations to dismiss moral distress as a mere "hidden curriculum" problem. As a further demonstration of how best to approach a lifelong practice of medical virtue, we will examine altruism as a mean between the extremes of self-sacrifice and selfishness.

[Ethical opinion survey on the periodical health examination among workers: privacy protection and informed consent on the information of the heath examination among workers in small and medium-sized enterprises].

PubMed

Takahashi, Norito; Fujino, Akihiro

2006-03-01

We investigated the ethical opinions concerning the information on legal regular health examinations with a questionnaire for 757 workers in enterprises that contracted a part-time occupational physician as there were no full-time occupational health professionals. Thirty to 50% of the workers answered that the information on their health examination was known to their superiors and their colleagues. Also, 20 to 40% of the workers answered that the information was made known to other people without obtaining their agreement. This tendency among the group of sick workers was stronger than in the group of healthy workers. On the other hand, the workers who suspected that the information on their health examination might be made available to other people exceeded the majority. In these enterprises, there seemed to be ethical problems from the point of the protection of privacy. It was also shown that the consideration of ethics concerning the protection of the privacy of the information on worker's health examinations was not high. However, it was suggested that the ethical opinion concerning worker's informed consent was high, as there were 85% or more workers who answered that agreement of the workers themselves was necessary for disclosing the information on their medical examination.

Drug regulators and ethics: which GCP issues are also ethical issues?

PubMed

Bernabe, Rosemarie D L C; van Thiel, Ghislaine J M W; Breekveldt, Nancy S; van Delden, Johannes J M

2016-02-01

Within the European Union (EU), good clinical practice (GCP) provides an ethical mandate to regulators; however, it is unclear what the content of that mandate is. By looking at the correspondence between GCP and ethical imperatives, we identify that the mandate is within the following: principles; benefit-risk ratio; scientific validity; results publication; informed consent; respect for participants; and special populations. There are also cases when regulations were ethical but were not pairable to an imperative, and when the former were stricter than the latter. Hence, we suggest closer cooperation between ethics committees and regulators to ensure that future versions of ethics guidelines cover the ethically relevant regulations that were not directly pairable to any imperative, and cooperation between GCP legislative bodies and ethics guideline-making bodies to resolve the discordant areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethics and rationality in information-enriched decisions: A model for technical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dressel, S. B.; Carlson, P.; Killingsworth, M. J.

1993-12-01

In a technological culture, information has a crucial impact upon decisions, but exactly how information plays into decisions is not always clear. Decisions that are effective, efficient, and ethical must be rational. That is, we must be able to determine and present good reasons for our actions. The topic in this paper is how information relates to good reasons and thereby affects the best decisions. A brief sketch of a model for decision-making, is presented which offers a synthesis of theoretical approaches to argument and to information analysis. Then the model is applied to a brief hypothetical case. The main purpose is to put the model before an interested audience in hopes of stimulating discussion and further research.

What Price Ethics: New Research Directions in Counselor Ethical Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paradise, Louis V.

1978-01-01

This paper briefly examines research on the ethical behavior of counselors, demonstrating that new directions in this area are needed, and that new research questions must be asked if significant information relating to counseling and ethics is to advance. Areas of inquiry and methods for investigation are suggested. (Author)

The informal curriculum - general practitioner perceptions of ethics in clinical practice.

PubMed

Sturman, Nancy J; Parker, Malcolm; van Driel, Mieke L

2012-12-01

Australian medical students should graduate with an understanding of the principles of medical law and ethics, and their application to clinical settings. Although student perspectives have been studied previously, the teacher experience of ethical issues also needs to be understood, particularly in the general practice setting. Interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 13 general practitioner teachers. They were asked to reflect on common and/or important ethical issues in their day-to-day practice. An inductive thematic analysis of the data was performed by two investigators, who reached a consensus on major themes using an iterative, dialogic process. Participants reported negotiating ethical issues frequently. Major themes included patient-doctor relationships, professional differences, truth-telling, ethically 'grey' areas and the personal demands of ethical decision making. General practitioners in this study describe sometimes needing to apply judgement and compromise in situations involving legal or ethical issues, in order to act in the best interests of patients and to successfully negotiate the patient-doctor relationship. Students learning in this clinical context may perceive mixed messages and ethical lapses in these challenging 'grey' areas. The ethical acumen and emotional resilience of both students and clinical teachers may be enhanced by ongoing reflective discussion with colleagues.

Feasibility of rapid ethical assessment for the Ethiopian health research ethics review system.

PubMed

Addissie, Adamu; Davey, Gail; Newport, Melanie; Farsides, Bobbie; Feleke, Yeweyenhareg

2015-01-01

One of the challenges in the process of ethical medical research in developing countries, including Ethiopia, is translating universal principles of medical ethics into appropriate informed consent documents and their implementation. Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) has been suggested as a feasible approach to meet this application gap. In the past few years REA has been employed in few research project in Ethiopia and have been found to be a useful and practical approach. Feasibility assessment of REA for the Ethiopian research setting was conducted between 2012-2013 in order to inform the subsequent introduction of REA into research ethics review and governance system in the country. REA was found to be an appropriate, relevant and feasible venture. We argue that REA can be integrated as part of the ethics review and governance system in Ethiopia. REA tools and techniques are considered relevant and acceptable to the Ethiopian research community, with few practical challenges anticipated in their implementation. REA are considered feasible for integration in the Ethiopian ethics review system.

"Obligated aliens": recognizing sperm donors' ethical obligation to disclose genetic information.

PubMed

Tamir, Sivan

2013-03-01

Sperm donors' obligations are typically constrained to the immediate circumstances surrounding the donation and to its time frame. This paper makes the case for recognizing an ongoing ethical obligation that binds sperm donors to disclose, in a timely manner, meaningful genetic information to recipients and donor-conceived children. The paper delineates and conceptualizes the suggested (potentially reciprocal) duty and argues that it is not the genetic link between the donor and the donor-conceived child that binds donors by said duty, but rather social responsibility. Accordingly, an original perception of the donor as an obligated alien is suggested and developed. The main thesis of the paper is supported inter alia by a comparison between transmitting infectious diseases and passing faulty genes on to donor-conceived children. The paper also provides an in-depth analysis of the conflicting interests of the parties generated by such an obligation and proposes a model for embedding this ethical duty in a (legal) contractual framework.

Co-design of RAD and ETHICS methodologies: a combination of information system development methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasehi, Arezo; Shahriyari, Salman

2011-12-01

Co-design is a new trend in the social world which tries to capture different ideas in order to use the most appropriate features for a system. In this paper, co-design of two information system methodologies is regarded; rapid application development (RAD) and effective technical and human implementation of computer-based systems (ETHICS). We tried to consider the characteristics of these methodologies to see the possibility of having a co-design or combination of them for developing an information system. To reach this purpose, four different aspects of them are analyzed: social or technical approach, user participation and user involvement, job satisfaction, and overcoming change resistance. Finally, a case study using the quantitative method is analyzed in order to examine the possibility of co-design using these factors. The paper concludes that RAD and ETHICS are appropriate to be co-designed and brings some suggestions for the co-design.

Scientific Ethics in Chemical Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovac, Jeffrey

1996-10-01

Scientific ethics is a subset of professional ethics, the special rules of conduct adhered to by people engaged in those pursuits called professions. It is distinct from, but consistent with, both ordinary morality and moral theory. The codes of professional ethics derive from the two bargains that define a profession: the internal code of practice and the external bargain between the profession and society. While the informal code of professional conduct is well understood by working scientists, it is rarely explicitly included in the chemistry curriculum. Instead, we have relied on informal methods to teach students scientific ethics, a strategy that is haphazard at best. In this paper I argue that scientific ethics can and must be taught as part of the chemistry curriculum and that this is the best done through the case-study method. Many decisions made by working scientists have both a technical and an ethical component. Students need to learn how to make good decisions in professional ethics. The alternative is, at best, sloppy science and, at worst, scientific misconduct.

Ethical & Legal Issues in School Counseling. Chapter 1: Ethical Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huey, Wayne C.; And Others

This document contains chapter 1 (8 articles) from a collection of 35 articles primarily from American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) publications on the most important legal and ethical topics about which all school counselors need to be informed. "Ethical Standards for School Counselors: Test Your Knowledge" (Wayne C. Huey)…

Ethical choice in the medical applications of information theory.

PubMed

Haig, Scott V

2010-10-01

Alongside advances in medical information technology (IT), there is mounting physician and patient dissatisfaction with present-day clinical practice. The effect of introducing increasingly complex medical IT on the ethical dimension of the clinical physician's primary task (identified as direct patient care) can be scrutinized through analysis of the EMR software platform. We therefore (1) identify IT changes burdensome to the clinician in performing patient care and which therefore lower quality of care; and (2) suggest methods for clinicians to maintain high quality patient care as IT demands increase. Elemental relationships from information theory and physical chemistry are applied to the profit-generating creation and flow of medical information between patients, physicians, administrators, suppliers, and insurers. Ethical implications for patient care and the doctor-patient relationship are drawn in the light of these relationships. WHERE ARE WE NOW?: Little has been accomplished, or even discussed, regarding limiting healthcare IT growth. Quality of patient care is expected to suffer unless physicians carefully scrutinize, refine and occasionally reject portions of the increasing healthcare IT burden being placed upon them. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: Better medicine, simply understood as more effective prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disease, is our professional goal. We need to establish mechanisms whereby we can limit, control or even reverse IT changes that hinder this goal. Clinicians must confront the negative impact many healthcare IT changes have on patient care. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: Suggestions for maintaining high standards of practice in the face of the new IT burden include: (1) Increasing IT time-awareness. Clinicians should examine actual time spent in clinical versus computer-based activity and implement changes if that ratio is too high. (2) Increasing IT goal awareness. (3) Examine the software creating a medical record to see how

Ethical Evaluation of Mental Health Social Research: Agreement Between Researchers and Ethics Committees.

PubMed

Mondragón Barrios, Liliana; Guarneros García, Tonatiuh; Jiménez Tapia, Alberto

2017-07-01

The objective of this article is to compare various ethical issues considered by social scientists and research ethics committees in the evaluation of mental health social research protocols. We contacted 47 social scientists and 10 members of ethics committees in Mexico with two electronic national surveys that requested information from both groups related to the application of ethical principles in mental health social research. The results showed no significant difference between these groups in the value placed on the ethical issues explored. Based on this finding, we make proposals to strengthen the collaboration between the two groups.

Ethical issues related to professional exposure of pregnant women in the medical field: monitoring and limiting effective dose.

PubMed

Santos, J A M; Nunes, R

2011-03-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations for occupational exposed pregnant women do not imply necessarily the complete avoidance of work with radiation or radioactive materials. Instead, a careful review of the exposure conditions, once the pregnancy is declared, as part of the exercise of the ICRP optimisation principle (based in a teleological ethics point of view) is suggested. The dose limitation (following a deontological ethics point of view) of the fetus/embryo is, however, not clearly well established as happens in the case of workers or members of the public. Also, the justification of practices (to continue to work or not with radiation or radioactive materials) is not clearly addressed in most national or international recommendations. An analysis of this justification (bearing in mind both teleological and deontological ethics) is examined in this work having in mind the best interest of the child-to-be as well as other existing social and economical factors.

Collaboration, Automation, and Information Management at Hanford High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aurah, Mirwaise Y.; Roberts, Mark A.

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), operator of High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms at the Hanford Site, is taking an over 20-year leap in technology, replacing systems that were monitored with clipboards and obsolete computer systems, as well as solving major operations and maintenance hurdles in the area of process automation and information management. While WRPS is fully compliant with procedures and regulations, the current systems are not integrated and do not share data efficiently, hampering how information is obtained and managed.

Ethics of clear health communication: applying the CLEAN Look approach to communicate biobanking information for cancer research.

PubMed

Koskan, Alexis; Arevalo, Mariana; Gwede, Clement K; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Noel-Thomas, Shalewa A; Luque, John S; Wells, Kristen J; Meade, Cathy D

2012-11-01

Cancer innovations, such as biobanking technologies, are continuously evolving to improve our understanding and knowledge about cancer prevention and treatment modalities. However, the public receives little communication about biobanking and is often unaware about this innovation until asked to donate biospecimens. It is the researchers' ethical duty to provide clear communications about biobanking and biospecimen research. Such information allows the public to understand biobanking processes and facilitates informed decision making about biospecimen donation. The aims of this paper are 1) to examine the importance of clear communication as an ethical imperative when conveying information about cancer innovations and 2) to illustrate the use of an organizing framework, the CLEAN ( C ulture, L iteracy, E ducation, A ssessment, and N etworking) Look approach for creating educational priming materials about the topic of biobanking.

Everyday Ethics: Ethical Issues and Stress in Nursing Practice

PubMed Central

Ulrich, Connie M.; Taylor, Carol; Soeken, Karen; O'Donnell, Patricia; Farrar, Adrienne; Danis, Marion; Grady, Christine

2010-01-01

Aim This paper is a report of a study of the type, frequency, and level of stress of ethical issues encountered by nurses in their everyday practice. Background Everyday ethical issues in nursing practice attract little attention but can create stress for nurses. Nurses often feel uncomfortable in addressing the ethical issues they encounter in patient care. Methods A self-administered survey was sent in 2004 to 1000 nurses in four states in four different census regions of the United States of America. The adjusted response rate was 52%. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations and Pearson correlations. Results A total of 422 questionnaires were used in the analysis. The five most frequently-occurring and most stressful ethical and patient care issues were protecting patients' rights; autonomy and informed consent to treatment; staffing patterns; advanced care planning; and surrogate decision-making. Other common occurrences were unethical practices of healthcare professionals; breaches of patient confidentiality or right to privacy; and end-of-life decision-making. Younger nurses and those with fewer years of experience encountered ethical issues more frequently and reported higher levels of stress. Nurses from different regions also experienced specific types of ethical problems more commonly. Conclusion Nurses face daily ethical challenges in the provision of quality care. To retain nurses, targeted ethics-related interventions that address caring for an increasingly complex patient population are needed. PMID:20735502

Everyday ethics: ethical issues and stress in nursing practice.

PubMed

Ulrich, Connie M; Taylor, Carol; Soeken, Karen; O'Donnell, Patricia; Farrar, Adrienne; Danis, Marion; Grady, Christine

2010-11-01

This paper is a report of a study of the type, frequency, and level of stress of ethical issues encountered by nurses in their everyday practice. Everyday ethical issues in nursing practice attract little attention but can create stress for nurses. Nurses often feel uncomfortable in addressing the ethical issues they encounter in patient care. A self-administered survey was sent in 2004 to 1000 nurses in four states in four different census regions of the United States of America. The adjusted response rate was 52%. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations and Pearson correlations. A total of 422 questionnaires were used in the analysis. The five most frequently occurring and most stressful ethical and patient care issues were protecting patients' rights; autonomy and informed consent to treatment; staffing patterns; advanced care planning; and surrogate decision-making. Other common occurrences were unethical practices of healthcare professionals; breaches of patient confidentiality or right to privacy; and end-of-life decision-making. Younger nurses and those with fewer years of experience encountered ethical issues more frequently and reported higher levels of stress. Nurses from different regions also experienced specific types of ethical problems more commonly. Nurses face daily ethical challenges in the provision of quality care. To retain nurses, targeted ethics-related interventions that address caring for an increasingly complex patient population are needed. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Engaging research participants to inform the ethical conduct of mobile imaging, pervasive sensing, and location tracking research.

PubMed

Nebeker, Camille; Lagare, Tiffany; Takemoto, Michelle; Lewars, Brittany; Crist, Katie; Bloss, Cinnamon S; Kerr, Jacqueline

2016-12-01

Researchers utilize mobile imaging, pervasive sensing, social media, and location tracking (MISST) technologies to observe and intervene with participants in their natural environment. The use of MISST methods and tools introduces unique ethical issues due to the type and quantity of data, and produces raising new challenges around informed consent, risk assessment, and data management. Since MISST methods are relatively new in behavioral research, there is little documented evidence to guide institutional review board (IRB) risk assessment and inform appropriate risk management strategies. This study was conducted to contribute the participant perspectives when considering ethical and responsible practices. Participants (n = 82) enrolled in an observational study where they wore several MISST devices for 1 week completed an exit survey. Survey items focused on the following: 1-device comfort, 2-informed consent, 3-privacy protections, and 4-bystander engagement. The informed consent process reflected participant actual experience. Device comfort and privacy were raised as concerns to both the participants and bystanders. While the majority of the participants reported a positive experience, it is important to note that the participants were volunteers who were not mandated to wear tracking devices and that persons who are mandated may not have a similar response. Findings support strategies proposed in the Kelly et al. (2013) ethical framework, which emphasizes procedures to improve informed consent, protect privacy, manage data, and respect bystander rights when using a wearable camera.

Ethics of clinical trials.

PubMed

Iyalomhe, G B S; Imomoh, P A

2007-01-01

Although clinical trials are conducted far more ethically and safer now than they were some decades ago, the elimination of gross abuses has tended to highlight more subtle ethical problems. Therefore, research in man, especially clinical drug trials, must now take into account ethical and legal requirements. This review examines the progress of clinical trial ethics, highlights the major ethical principles and challenges involved in the conduct of clinical trials, and suggests measures to ensure scientifically and ethically sound clinical trials. An internet search and a perusal of the literature on the history of clinical trials, medical ethics and good clinical practice, reveal that apart from laying a general principle, the Oath of Hippocrates did not provide a guide on the specific ethical problems involved in undertaking research, an important arm of advancement in medical knowledge. Hence, to avert continued ethical abuses of subjects during clinical research, the current reference guideliNe--the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 (revised in 1975), was adopted by the World Medical Assembly. It emphasized four major principles: autonomy, nonmaleficience, beneficence and justice. In applying these principles, the researcher must obtain a written free and well informed consent from patients who should be aware of their right to withdraw from trial at any moment. Where possible, a new drug should always first be compared to placebo in order to prove its superiority. He must ethically monitor and assess risks and benefits of the trial throughout its duration and use a fair procedure in selecting research subjects and must respect the concept of inviolability of the human person. Ethical challenges confronting clinical trials include the appropriateness of the proposed research, obtaining free informed consent, use of medications after completion of drug trials, drug toxicities and long-term side effects as well as the release and publication of research result. To

Ethics in Online Publications.

PubMed

Vervaart, Peter

2014-10-01

Journals have been publishing the results of scientific investigations since the founding of Philosophical Transactions in 1665. Since then we have witnessed a massive expansion in the number of journals to the point that there are now approximately 28,000 active, peer reviewed journals collectively publishing more than 1.8 million articles per year. Before the mid-1990s, these journals were only available on paper but by the end of the 20th century, most journals had moved to online platforms. Online publication has also served as the impetus for the move to 'open-access' to the information contained in journals. The fact that a publication is 'on-line' and 'open-access' does not negate the responsibility of the author and the publisher to publish in an ethical way. [1] The document produced by the IFCC Ethics Task Force (TF-E) on publication ethics states that 'Ethics in Science at its broadest level encompasses research ethics, medical ethics, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, ethical responsibilities as educator, plus many other areas.' Thus publication ethics is a continuum from the first step of research design through to the information being read by the reader. In general terms 'publication ethics' includes the ethical behaviour of the authors in writing and submitting a scientific manuscript to a publisher for the purpose of publication, thus any discussion of publication ethics must include the role of the authors, referees, publisher and reader and the issues of authorship (and the use of 'ghosts'), plagiarism, duplicate publication (including in different languages), image manipulation (particularly in the era of digitisation), and conflict of interest [2]. To aid the authors, and others involved in the process of publication, a number of resources are now available particularly those from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) [3] and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) [4]. More recently the issue of 'publisher ethics' has

The Development of a Code of Ethics: An Online Classroom Approach to Making Connections between Ethical Foundations and the Challenges Presented by Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Rochelle

2010-01-01

In today's organizations, ethical challenges relate to areas like fraud, right to privacy for consumers, social responsibility, and trade restrictions. For Information Technology (IT) specifically, these can translate to considerations on how technology is used to violate people's privacy, how automation leads to job reductions, or how management…

[The main directions of improving the system of state accounting and control of radioactive substances and radioactive waste products].

PubMed

2012-01-01

This paper describes a modification of the basic directions of state accounting and control of radioactive substances and radioactive waste products, whose implementation will significantly improve the efficiency of its operation at the regional level. Selected areas are designed to improve accounting and control system for the submission of the enterprises established by the reporting forms, the quality of the information contained in them, as well as structures of information and process for collecting, analyzing and data processing concerning radioactive substances and waste products.

Ethics: A Course of Study for Educational Leaders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimbrough, Ralph B.

This monograph provides readings in ethical thought and professional ethics in educational administration, supplemented by case studies illustrating ethical problems administrators face. Comments on the field of ethics and the importance of administrative ethics introduce the booklet, along with background information about the booklet and…

Science, politics and ethics in the low dose debate.

PubMed

Baverstock, Keith

2005-01-01

The roles of science, ethics and politics are identified in respect of the risks of exposure to low-dose radiation. Two case studies, the epidemiology of the United Kingdom nuclear test veterans and the risks to civilians associated with the military use of depleted uranium, are considered in the context of their ethical framing, scientific evaluation and political resolution. Two important issues for the present and future, the safe management of U.K. radioactive waste and the future of nuclear power, in which the science of low dose effects will be crucial and where the ethical issues are much more complex, are introduced. Specific consideration is given to the potential hereditary effects of ionising radiation in relation to the current state of radiobiological knowledge. It is concluded that for science to be useful in public health policy making there needs to be some reform from within the profession and the political imperative for freely independent scientific institutions.

[Microbiological Aspects of Radioactive Waste Storage].

PubMed

Safonov, A V; Gorbunova, O A; German, K E; Zakharova, E V; Tregubova, V E; Ershov, B G; Nazina, T N

2015-01-01

The article gives information about the microorganisms inhabiting in surface storages of solid radioactive waste and deep disposal sites of liquid radioactive waste. It was shown that intensification of microbial processes can lead to significant changes in the chemical composition and physical state of the radioactive waste. It was concluded that the biogeochemical processes can have both a positive effect on the safety of radioactive waste storages (immobilization of RW macrocomponents, a decreased migration ability of radionuclides) and a negative one (biogenic gas production in subterranean formations and destruction of cement matrix).

Relationships between organizational and individual support, nurses' ethical competence, ethical safety, and work satisfaction.

PubMed

Poikkeus, Tarja; Suhonen, Riitta; Katajisto, Jouko; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2018-03-12

Organizations and nurse leaders do not always effectively support nurses' ethical competence. More information is needed about nurses' perceptions of this support and relevant factors to improve it. The aim of the study was to examine relationships between nurses' perceived organizational and individual support, ethical competence, ethical safety, and work satisfaction. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed to nurses (n = 298) working in specialized, primary, or private health care in Finland. Descriptive statistics, multifactor analysis of variance, and linear regression analysis were used to test the relationships. The nurses reported low organizational and individual support for their ethical competence, whereas perceptions of their ethical competence, ethical safety, and work satisfaction were moderate. There were statistically significant positive correlations between both perceived individual and organizational support, and ethical competence, nurses' work satisfaction, and nurses' ethical safety. Organizational and individual support for nurses' ethical competence should be strengthened, at least in Finland, by providing more ethics education and addressing ethical problems in multiprofessional discussions. Findings confirm that organizational level support for ethical competence improves nurses' work satisfaction. They also show that individual level support improves nurses' sense of ethical safety, and both organizational and individual support strengthen nurses' ethical competence. These findings should assist nurse leaders to implement effective support practices to strengthen nurses' ethical competence, ethical safety, and work satisfaction.

Protected health information on social networking sites: ethical and legal considerations.

PubMed

Thompson, Lindsay A; Black, Erik; Duff, W Patrick; Paradise Black, Nicole; Saliba, Heidi; Dawson, Kara

2011-01-19

Social networking site use is increasingly common among emerging medical professionals, with medical schools even reporting disciplinary student expulsion. Medical professionals who use social networking sites have unique responsibilities since their postings could violate patient privacy. However, it is unknown whether students and residents portray protected health information and under what circumstances or contexts. The objective of our study was to document and describe online portrayals of potential patient privacy violations in the Facebook profiles of medical students and residents. A multidisciplinary team performed two cross-sectional analyses at the University of Florida in 2007 and 2009 of all medical students and residents to see who had Facebook profiles. For each identified profile, we manually scanned the entire profile for any textual or photographic representations of protected health information, such as portrayals of people, names, dates, or descriptions of procedures. Almost half of all eligible students and residents had Facebook profiles (49.8%, or n=1023 out of 2053). There were 12 instances of potential patient violations, in which students and residents posted photographs of care they provided to individuals. No resident or student posted any identifiable patient information or likeness in text form. Each instance occurred in developing countries on apparent medical mission trips. These portrayals increased over time (1 in the 2007 cohort; 11 in 2009; P = .03). Medical students were more likely to have these potential violations on their profiles than residents (11 vs 1, P = .04), and there was no difference by gender. Photographs included trainees interacting with identifiable patients, all children, or performing medical examinations or procedures such as vaccinations of children. While students and residents in this study are posting photographs that are potentially violations of patient privacy, they only seem to make this lapse in the

Protected Health Information on Social Networking Sites: Ethical and Legal Considerations

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Social networking site use is increasingly common among emerging medical professionals, with medical schools even reporting disciplinary student expulsion. Medical professionals who use social networking sites have unique responsibilities since their postings could violate patient privacy. However, it is unknown whether students and residents portray protected health information and under what circumstances or contexts. Objective The objective of our study was to document and describe online portrayals of potential patient privacy violations in the Facebook profiles of medical students and residents. Methods A multidisciplinary team performed two cross-sectional analyses at the University of Florida in 2007 and 2009 of all medical students and residents to see who had Facebook profiles. For each identified profile, we manually scanned the entire profile for any textual or photographic representations of protected health information, such as portrayals of people, names, dates, or descriptions of procedures. Results Almost half of all eligible students and residents had Facebook profiles (49.8%, or n=1023 out of 2053). There were 12 instances of potential patient violations, in which students and residents posted photographs of care they provided to individuals. No resident or student posted any identifiable patient information or likeness in text form. Each instance occurred in developing countries on apparent medical mission trips. These portrayals increased over time (1 in the 2007 cohort; 11 in 2009; P = .03). Medical students were more likely to have these potential violations on their profiles than residents (11 vs 1, P = .04), and there was no difference by gender. Photographs included trainees interacting with identifiable patients, all children, or performing medical examinations or procedures such as vaccinations of children. Conclusions While students and residents in this study are posting photographs that are potentially violations of patient

Secret ethics business?

PubMed

Gillam, Lynn

2003-01-01

In this paper, I question the common assumption that the workings of Human Research Ethics Committees should be treated as confidential. This is actually quite a complex issue, since there are many stages in the ethics approval process, and a number of different stakeholders who might wish to claim access, or restrict access, to different sorts of information. Here I consider just one aspect--whether ethics committee members should be free to reveal in public the details of what occurs in their meetings. My approach is two-fold: first a negative argument that confidentiality does not apply to ethics committee deliberations, and then a positive argument that there is an important public good, namely accountability, to be served by making these deliberations open to the public.

Psychology Ethics in Introductory Psychology Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zucchero, Renee' A.

2011-01-01

Previous research revealed that introductory psychology textbooks included limited information about psychology ethics. This study reviewed 48 current introductory psychology textbooks for research and other APA ethics content. These textbooks included slightly more total ethics content and were more thorough in their review of research ethics…

Health Information Professionals in a Global eHealth World: Ethical and legal arguments for the international certification and accreditation of health information professionals.

PubMed

Kluge, Eike-Henner W

2017-01-01

Issues such as privacy, security, quality, etc. have received considerable attention in discussions of eHealth, mHealth and pHealth. However, comparatively little attention has been paid to the fact that these methods of delivering health care situate Health Information Professionals (HIPs) in an ethical context that is importantly different from that of traditional health care because they assign a fiduciary role to HIPs that they did not have before, their previous technical involvement notwithstanding. Even less attention has been paid to the fact that when these methods of health care delivery are interjurisdictional, they situate HIPs in an ethical fabric that does not exist in the intra-jurisdictional setting. Privacy and other informatic patient rights in the context of traditional health care are identified and the role that HIPs play in this connection is analysed and distinguished from the role HIPs play in eHealth in order to determine whether the 2002 IMIA Code of Ethics provides sufficient guidance for HIPs in eHealth and associated settings. The position of inter-jurisdictional corporate eHealth providers is also touched upon. It is found that in eHealth, mHealth and pHealth the ethical and legal position of HIPs differs importantly from that in traditional technologically-assisted health care because HIPs have fiduciary obligations they did not have before. It is also found that the 2002 IMIA Code of Ethics, which provides the framework for the codes of ethics that are promulgated by its various member organizations, provides insufficient guidance for dealing with issues that arise in this connection because they do not acknowledge this important change. It is also found that interjurisdictional eHealth etc. raises new ethical and legal issues for the corporate sector that transcend contractual arrangements. The 2002 IMIA Code of Ethics should be revised and updated to provide guidance for HIPs who are engaged in eHealth and related methods of health

[Animals and environmentalist ethics].

PubMed

Guichet, Jean-Luc

2013-01-01

While environmental ethics and animal ethics have a common source of inspiration, they do not agree on the question of the status of animals. Environmental ethicists criticise the narrowness of the reason, focused on pain, given by animal ethicists and their strictly individual point of view; they maintain that their ethical concept is less emotional and more informed by science, with a broad point of view taking natural networks into account. Animal ethicists respond critically, accusing the environmental ethicists of not having any ethical foundation. There are, however, prospects for reconciling the two approaches, provided that they recognise two different ethical stances for animals: one based on the integrity of wild animals and the other based on a model contract for tame animals.

Packaging and transportation of radioactive materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1978-01-01

The presentations made at the Symposium on Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials are included. The purpose of the meeting was for the interchange of information on the technology and politics of radioactive material transportation. Separate abstracts were prepared for individual items. (DC)

Ethical hot spots of combined individual and group therapy: applying four ethical systems.

PubMed

Brabender, Virginia M; Fallon, April

2009-01-01

Abstract Combined therapy presents ethical quandaries that occur in individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy, and dilemmas specifically associated with their integration. This paper examines two types of ethical frameworks (a classical principle-based framework and a set of context-based frameworks) for addressing the ethical hot spots of combined therapy: self-referral, transfer of information, and termination. The principle-based approach enables the practitioner to see what core values may be served or violated by different courses of action in combined therapy dilemmas. Yet, the therapist is more likely to do justice to the complexity and richness of the combined therapy situation by supplementing a principle analysis with three additional ethical frameworks. These approaches are: virtue ethics, feminist ethics, and casuistry. An analysis of three vignettes illustrates how these contrasting ethical models not only expand the range of features to which the therapist attends but also the array of solutions the therapist generates.

The discovery of radioactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radvanyi, Pierre; Villain, Jacques

2017-11-01

The radioactivity of uranium was discovered in 1896 by Henri Becquerel who, starting from a wrong idea, progressively realized what he was observing, regularly informing the French Academy of Sciences of the progress he was doing. In the next years, it was found that thorium was radioactive too, and two new radioactive elements, polonium and radium, were discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie, while a third one, actinium, was identified by André Debierne. The study of the penetrating power and of the effect of electric and magnetic fields allowed scientists to demonstrate the complexity of nuclear radiation with its three components α, β, γ. The Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences allow the reader to see how difficult it was to understand the nature of radioactivity, which was essentially elucidated by Ernest Rutherford and Frederick Soddy.

[Applying Ethics, Placating Ethics, or Applying ourselves to Ethics? A Critical View of Environmental Ethics as Applied Ethics].

PubMed

Serani Merlo, Alejandro

2016-01-01

There is actually a pervasive tendency to consider environmental ethics and bioethics as specific cases pertaining to a supposed kind of ″applied ethics″. Application can be understood in two different meanings: a concrete sense, as in technical applications, and a psychological meaning, as when we mentally apply ourselves to a task. Ethics has been always thought as a practical knowledge, in a ″praxical″ sense and not in a ″poietic″ one. Ethics has to do with ″ends″ not with ″means″; in this sense ethics is ″useless″. Since ethics has to do with the ultimate meaning of things, ethical choices give meaning to all practical activities. In that sense ethics instead of being useless must be considered as ″over-useful″ (Maritain). Nowadays politics tend to instrumentalize ethics in order to political objectives. The consequence has been the reconceptualization of specific ethics as applied ethics. Environmental ethics and bioethics are then submitted to politics following the logic of technical applications. Environmental ethics and bioethics considered as applied ethics are at risk to becoming not only useless, but also meaningless.

The ethical duty to preserve the quality of scientific information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arattano, Massimo; Gatti, Albertina; Eusebio, Elisa

2016-04-01

The commitment to communicate and divulge the knowledge acquired during his/her professional activity is certainly one of the ethical duties of the geologist. However nowadays, in the Internet era, the spreading of knowledge involves potential risks that the geologist should be aware of. These risks require a careful analysis aimed to mitigate their effects. The Internet may in fact contribute to spread (e.g. through websites like Wikipedia) information badly or even incorrectly presented. The final result could be an impediment to the diffusion of knowledge and a reduction of its effectiveness, which is precisely the opposite of the goal that a geologist should pursue. Specific criteria aimed to recognize incorrect or inadequate information would be, therefore, extremely useful. Their development and application might avoid, or at least reduce, the above mentioned risk. Ideally, such criteria could be also used to develop specific algorithms to automatically verify the quality of information available all over the Internet. A possible criterion will be here presented for the quality control of knowledge and scientific information. An example of its application in the field of geology will be provided, to verify and correct a piece of information available on the Internet. The proposed criterion could be also used for the simplification of the scientific information and the increase of its informative efficacy.

Five key players shape institution's ethical character.

PubMed

Craig, R P; Middleton, C J; O'Connell, L J

1986-05-01

Various individuals or groups play important roles in achieving moral insight and direction in a health care facility. The administration, medical and nursing staffs, the professional theologian, and the bishop all contribute unique perspectives to the complex process of developing an institution's ethical character. An institutional ethics committee's (IEC's) effectiveness depends largely on the administrator's ability to support educational programming in ethics for the entire staff, coordinate ethical reflection throughout the organization, and shape ethically informed policy based on an IEC's practical experience. The medical staff brings its scientific background and practical experience to ethical issues under a committee's consideration, and nurses offer valuable insights based on their close contact with patients and family. The theologian provides resources and background on Catholic tradition as well as information on current theological developments. The IEC also should maintain a relationship with the local bishop whose duty is to articulate the Church's positions in health care ethics. Forthright dialogue among all parties is central to the IEC's task.

Ethics and mediation.

PubMed

Patthoff, D E

1993-12-01

Ethics dialogue in this case is first used as a framework to initiate reflection on which forms of conflict resolution are appropriate in specific situations. This helps in planning and strategies, but does not guarantee what the outcome will actually be. Ethics dialogue, however, can also be used as a form of conflict resolution. For example, when the patient in the story wants to avoid revealing the names of her past dentists, an ethical framework could be presented that would respect her autonomy (an ethical term) and her right to privacy (a legal term), while still addressing your need to determine if the primary problem is of an ethical or dental nature, and if your role is to be that of a healing mediator or a healing dentist. This same form of conflict resolution could also be applied elsewhere in the story. For example, ethics dialogue would have been appropriate during the consultation between you and the endodontist, or between you and the patient, prior to the lawyer's formal request for the patient's records. It is difficult, however, for you to reduce conflict through an ethical dialogue once the lawyer requests information from you because, at that point, the adjudication process has already begun. The ethical reflection exercise will, however, help you negotiate through the adjudication process by providing a solid ethical reference point concerning conflict resolution. The February issue's ethics column will provide a framework for evaluating the forms of power available in conflict resolution in terms of justice.

Ethical Issues Regarding Informed Consent for Minors for Space Tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, Melvin S.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the difficulty with informed consent and debates whether or not whether adults should be able to ethically, morally, and legally consent for their children during the high-risk activity of space tourism. The experimental nature of space vehicles combined with the high likelihood of medical complications and the destination places space tourism legally in the category of "adventure activities," which include adventure travel to exotic locations as well as adventure sports, such as mountain climbing, rafting, etc. which carry a high risk of danger (http://rescommunis.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/interview-tracey-l-knutson-adventure-sports-defense-attorney-on-space-tourism-risk-and-informed-consente/). However, unlike other adventure sports, adults currently cannot consent for their minor children. Other topics also receive attention, such as a "mature minors" clause, radiation exposure of potential future children, and other difficulties preventing adults from legally consenting to space travel.

The ethical introduction of genome-based information and technologies into public health.

PubMed

Howard, H C; Swinnen, E; Douw, K; Vondeling, H; Cassiman, J-J; Cambon-Thomsen, A; Borry, P

2013-01-01

With the human genome project running from 1989 until its completion in 2003, and the incredible advances in sequencing technology and in bioinformatics during the last decade, there has been a shift towards an increase focus on studying common complex disorders which develop due to the interplay of many different genes as well as environmental factors. Although some susceptibility genes have been identified in some populations for disorders such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the integration of this information into the health care system has proven to be much more problematic than for single gene disorders. Furthermore, with the 1000$ genome supposedly just around the corner, and whole genome sequencing gradually being integrated into research protocols as well as in the clinical context, there is a strong push for the uptake of additional genomic testing. Indeed, the advent of public health genomics, wherein genomics would be integrated in all aspects of health care and public health, should be taken seriously. Although laudable, these advances also bring with them a slew of ethical and social issues that challenge the normative frameworks used in clinical genetics until now. With this in mind, we highlight herein 5 principles that are used as a primer to discuss the ethical introduction of genome-based information and genome-based technologies into public health. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Security and privacy of EHR systems--ethical, social and legal requirements.

PubMed

Kluge, Eike-Henner W

2003-01-01

This paper addresses social, ethical and legal concerns about security and privacy that arise in the development of international interoperable health information systems. The paper deals with these concerns under four rubrics: the ethical status of electronic health records, the social and legal embedding of interoperable health information systems, the overall information-requirements healthcare as such, and the role of health information professionals as facilitators. It argues that the concerns that arise can be met if the development of interoperability protocols is guided by the seven basic principles of information ethics that have been enunciated in the IMIA Code of Ethics for Health Information Professionals and that are central to the ethical treatment of electronic health records.

Ethical Considerations in Prenatal Sex Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Leslie Doty

2005-01-01

Developments in assisted reproductive technologies have made it possible for couples to select the sex of a child prenatally. This article used the NASW Code of Ethics and information from the Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine to consider ethical dilemmas related to social justice (for example, reinforcement of…

Why Would Information and Communications Technology Contribute to Development at All? An Ethical Inquiry into the Possibilities of ICT in Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanki, Jari

2006-01-01

This article looks at the ethical implications of the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in bringing about development in developing societies. Any proposed means to enhance development has costs as well as benefits. Hence, the evaluation of a given means to development should always be a matter of "applied ethics".…

Voluntarism, public engagement and the role of geoscience in radioactive waste management policy-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilham, Nic

2014-05-01

In the UK, as elsewhere in Europe, there has been a move away from previous 'technocratic' approaches to radioactive waste management (RWM). Policy-makers have recognised that for any RWM programme to succeed, sustained engagement with stakeholders and the public is necessary, and any geological repository must be constructed and operated with the willing support of the community which hosts it. This has opened up RWM policy-making and implementation to a wider range of (often contested) expert inputs, ranging across natural and social sciences, engineering and even ethics. Geoscientists and other technical specialists have found themselves drawn into debates about how various types of expertise should be prioritised, and how they should be integrated with diverse public and stakeholder perspectives. They also have a vital role to play in communicating to the public the need for geological disposal of radioactive waste, and the various aspects of geoscience which will inform the process of implementing this, from identifying potential volunteer host communities, to finding a suitable site, developing the safety case, construction of a repository, emplacement of waste, closure and subsequent monitoring. High-quality geoscience, effectively communicated, will be essential to building and maintaining public confidence throughout the many decades such projects will take. Failure to communicate effectively the relevant geoscience and its central role in the UK's radioactive waste management programme arguably contributed to West Cumbria's January 2013 decision to withdraw from the site selection process, and may discourage other communities from coming forward in future. Across countries needing to deal with their radioactive waste, this unique challenge gives an unprecedented urgency to finding ways to engage and communicate effectively with the public about geoscience.

Ethical perspectives in neuroscience nursing practice.

PubMed

Murphy, W J; Olsen, B J

1999-09-01

The role of neuroscience nurses in relation to ethical issues has become increasingly complex. Knowledge of ethical principles and theories assists the nurse in the development of a theoretical basis for resolution of ethical issues or concerns. Additionally, the nurse must possess information regarding practice codes or standards as well as legislative requirements. The nurse must act as an advocate for the patient and society through active participation in institutional ethics committees and legislative forums.

Bioethics Principles, Informed Consent, and Ethical Care for Special Populations: Curricular Needs Expressed by Men and Women Physicians-in-Training

PubMed Central

Roberts, Laura Weiss; M.A., Cynthia; Geppert; Warner, Teddy D.; Green Hammond, Katherine A.; Lamberton, Leandrea Prosen

2006-01-01

Objective Physicians-in-training today are learning in an ethical environment that is unprecedented in its complexity. There is a call for new approaches in preparing medical students and residents for the ethical and professional issues they will encounter. The perspectives of physicians-in-training at different levels regarding the level of curricular attention needed for emerging bioethics concepts, practical informed consent considerations, and the care of special populations are unknown. Method The authors performed a hypothesis-driven, confidential survey study to assess perceived needs and preferences among medical students and residents related to medical ethics education at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Results A total of 336 physicians-in-training volunteered (62% response rate). Overall, strong interest was expressed for increased curricular attention to the domains of bioethics principles, informed consent, and care of special populations. Women students expressed greater interest generally. For certain domains, clinical students expressed relatively less curricular need and psychiatry and primary care residents expressed relatively greater curricular need. Two of the four hypotheses were supported, a third received partial support, and a fourth was not supported by the findings. Discussion To be valuable and effective, new ethics curricular approaches must be responsive to the current complex ethical environment and attentive to the preferences of medical students and residents of both genders, at different stages of training, with different patient care responsibilities. This hypothesis-driven study provides guidance for the inclusion of novel and important ethics domains in training curricula across medical school and diverse residency programs. PMID:16145189

Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.

1991-07-01

The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations.more » This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature.« less

Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists' perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism.

PubMed

Adams, Krystyna; Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Johnston, Rory

2013-12-06

Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access non-emergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and ethical concerns related to the practice of medical tourism. Researchers indicate that the sources of information frequently used by medical tourists during their decision-making process may be biased and/or lack comprehensive information regarding individual safety and treatment outcomes, as well as potential impacts of the medical tourism industry on third parties. This paper explores the feedback from former Canadian medical tourists regarding the use of an information sheet to address this knowledge gap and raise awareness of the safety and ethical concerns related to medical tourism. According to feedback provided in interviews with former Canadian medical tourists, the majority of participants responded positively to the information sheet and indicated that this document prompted them to engage in further consideration of these issues. Participants indicated some frustration after reading the information sheet regarding a lack of know-how in terms of learning more about the concerns discussed in the document and changing their decision-making. This frustration was due to participants' desperation for medical care, a topic which participants frequently discussed regarding ethical concerns related to health care provision. The overall perceptions of former medical tourists indicate that an information sheet may promote further consideration of ethical concerns of medical tourism. However, given that these interviews were performed with former medical tourists, it remains unknown whether such a document might impact upon the decision-making of prospective medical tourists. Furthermore, participants indicated a need for an additional tool such as a website for continued discussion about these concerns. As such, along with dissemination of the information sheet, future research implications should

Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists’ perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access non-emergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and ethical concerns related to the practice of medical tourism. Researchers indicate that the sources of information frequently used by medical tourists during their decision-making process may be biased and/or lack comprehensive information regarding individual safety and treatment outcomes, as well as potential impacts of the medical tourism industry on third parties. This paper explores the feedback from former Canadian medical tourists regarding the use of an information sheet to address this knowledge gap and raise awareness of the safety and ethical concerns related to medical tourism. Results According to feedback provided in interviews with former Canadian medical tourists, the majority of participants responded positively to the information sheet and indicated that this document prompted them to engage in further consideration of these issues. Participants indicated some frustration after reading the information sheet regarding a lack of know-how in terms of learning more about the concerns discussed in the document and changing their decision-making. This frustration was due to participants’ desperation for medical care, a topic which participants frequently discussed regarding ethical concerns related to health care provision. Conclusions The overall perceptions of former medical tourists indicate that an information sheet may promote further consideration of ethical concerns of medical tourism. However, given that these interviews were performed with former medical tourists, it remains unknown whether such a document might impact upon the decision-making of prospective medical tourists. Furthermore, participants indicated a need for an additional tool such as a website for continued discussion about these concerns. As such, along with dissemination of the information sheet

Ethical issues in research.

PubMed

Artal, Raul; Rubenfeld, Sheldon

2017-08-01

Biomedical research is currently guided by ethical standards that have evolved over many centuries. Historical and political events, social and legal considerations, and continuous medical and technological advances have led to the prevailing research ethics and practice. Currently, patients and research subjects have complete autonomy while under medical care or when volunteering as research subjects. Enrolling volunteers in human subjects research includes a detailed and meaningful informed consent process that follows the cardinal principles of ethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. These principles were gradually adopted after World War II, primarily in response to the unethical behavior of German physicians and scientists during the Third Reich. This review emphasizes the importance of historical milestones and the essential role that ethics has in contemporary medical research. Research protocols should achieve maximum benefits for the society, have clinical and scientific value, be subject to independent review, respect human dignity, and follow the principles of informed consent, and most importantly, subjects should have complete autonomy. However, current principles and regulations cannot cover every conceivable situation, particularly in view of the new advances in science and technology. New and evolving medical technology, genetic research, therapeutic interventions, and innovations challenge society to maintain the highest moral and ethical principles. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ethics Review Committee approval and informed consent: an analysis of biomedical publications originating from Sri Lanka

PubMed Central

Sumathipala, Athula; Siribaddana, Sisira; Hewege, Suwin; Lekamwattage, Manura; Athukorale, Manjula; Siriwardhana, Chesmal; Murray, Joanna; Prince, Martin

2008-01-01

Background International guidelines on research have focused on protecting research participants. Ethical Research Committee (ERC) approval and informed consent are the cornerstones. Externally sponsored research requires approval through ethical review in both the host and the sponsoring country. This study aimed to determine to what extent ERC approval and informed consent procedures are documented in locally and internationally published human subject research carried out in Sri Lanka. Methods We obtained ERC approval in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. Theses from 1985 to 2005 available at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) library affiliated to the University of Colombo were scrutinised using checklists agreed in consultation with senior research collaborators. A Medline search was carried out with MeSH major and minor heading 'Sri Lanka' as the search term for international publications originating in Sri Lanka during 1999 to 2004. All research publications from CMJ during 1999 to 2005 were also scrutinized. Results Of 291 theses, 34% documented ERC approvals and 61% documented obtaining consent. From the international journal survey, 250 publications originated from Sri Lanka of which only 79 full text original research publications could be accessed electronically. Of these 38% documented ERC approval and 39% documented obtaining consent. In the Ceylon Medical Journal 36% documented ERC approval and 37% documented obtaining consent. Conclusion Only one third of the publications scrutinized recorded ERC approval and procurement of informed consent. However, there is a positive trend in documenting these ethical requirements in local postgraduate research and in the local medical journal. PMID:18267015

Ethical & Legal Issues in School Counseling. Chapter 5: Ethical Issues in Group Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kottler, Jeffrey A.; And Others

This document contains chapter 6 (5 articles) of a collection of 35 articles primarily from American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) publications on the most important legal and ethical topics about which all school counselors need to be informed. "Ethics Comes of Age: Introduction to the Special Issue" (Jeffrey A. Kottler)…

[Ethical dilemmas of contemporary psychiatry].

PubMed

Filaković, Pavo; Pozgain, Ivan

2008-01-01

Ethics in the contemporary psychiatry, as well as in medicine in general, is based on the two core ethical traditions: deontological and theological. Good ethical decision takes into the consideration both traditions, and is preceded with ethical dilemmas to provide the best possible care to the patients in that moment. In the article are presented most recent research results of the literature about ethical dilemmas in psychiatry. Ethical dilemmas in everyday practice as well as compliance with the patients, psychiatric consultations, informed consent, treatment of personality disorders, pharmacological investigations, forensic psychiatry, forced hospitalisation, promotion of mental health, and dealing with the stigma of the mental diseases are showed in the article. The authors emphasize the necessity of constant questioning of ethical dilemmas in the contemporary psychiatry, because of the special status of psychiatry as a potentially risky field in practice, and because of intensive pharmacological investigations in psychiatric patients.

17 CFR 200.21a - The Ethics Counsel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false The Ethics Counsel. 200.21a...; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management General Organization § 200.21a The Ethics Counsel. (a) The Ethics Counsel is responsible for administering the Commission's...

17 CFR 200.21a - The Ethics Counsel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false The Ethics Counsel. 200.21a...; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management General Organization § 200.21a The Ethics Counsel. (a) The Ethics Counsel is responsible for administering the Commission's...

17 CFR 200.21a - The Ethics Counsel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false The Ethics Counsel. 200.21a...; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management General Organization § 200.21a The Ethics Counsel. (a) The Ethics Counsel is responsible for administering the Commission's...

A national survey of U.S. internists' experiences with ethical dilemmas and ethics consultation.

PubMed

DuVal, Gordon; Clarridge, Brian; Gensler, Gary; Danis, Marion

2004-03-01

To identify the ethical dilemmas that internists encounter, the strategies they use to address them, and the usefulness of ethics consultation. National telephone survey. Doctors' offices. General internists, oncologists, and critical care/pulmonologists (N = 344, 64% response rate). Types of ethical dilemmas recently encountered and likelihood of requesting ethics consultation; satisfaction with resolution of ethical dilemmas with and without ethics consultation. Internists most commonly reported dilemmas regarding end-of-life decision making, patient autonomy, justice, and conflict resolution. General internists, oncologists, and critical care specialists reported participating in an average of 1.4, 1.3, and 4.1 consultations in the preceding 2 years, respectively (P <.0001). Physicians with the least ethics training had the least access to and participated in the fewest ethics consultations; 19% reported consultation was unavailable at their predominant practice site. Dilemmas about end-of-life decisions and patient autonomy were often referred for consultation, while dilemmas about justice, such as lack of insurance or limited resources, were rarely referred. While most physicians thought consultations yielded information that would be useful in dealing with future ethical dilemmas (72%), some hesitated to seek ethics consultation because they believed it was too time consuming (29%), might make the situation worse (15%), or that consultants were unqualified (11%). While most internists recall recent ethical dilemmas in their practices, those with the least preparation and experience have the least access to ethics consultation. Health care organizations should emphasize ethics educational activities to prepare physicians for handling ethical dilemmas on their own and should improve the accessibility and responsiveness of ethics consultation when needed.

Research ethics consultation: ethical and professional practice challenges and recommendations.

PubMed

Sharp, Richard R; Taylor, Holly A; Brinich, Margaret A; Boyle, Mary M; Cho, Mildred; Coors, Marilyn; Danis, Marion; Havard, Molly; Magnus, David; Wilfond, Benjamin

2015-05-01

The complexity of biomedical research has increased considerably in the last decade, as has the pace of translational research. This complexity has generated a number of novel ethical issues for clinical investigators, institutional review boards (IRBs), and other oversight committees. In response, many academic medical centers have created formal research ethics consultation (REC) services to help clinical investigators and IRBs navigate ethical issues in biomedical research. Key functions of a REC service include assisting with research design and implementation, providing a forum for deliberative exploration of ethical issues, and supplementing regulatory oversight. As increasing numbers of academic research institutions establish REC services, there is a pressing need for consensus about the primary aims and policies that should guide these activities. Establishing clear expectations about the aims and policies of REC services is important if REC programs are to achieve their full potential. Drawing on the experiences of a Clinical and Translational Science Award Research Ethics Consultation Working Group, this article describes three major ethical and professional practice challenges associated with the provision of REC: (1) managing multiple institutional roles and responsibilities, (2) managing sensitive information, and (3) communicating with consultation requestors about how these issues are managed. The paper also presents several practical strategies for addressing these challenges and enhancing the quality of REC services.

Ethical issues in neurogenetics.

PubMed

Uhlmann, Wendy R; Roberts, J Scott

2018-01-01

Many neurogenetic conditions are inherited and therefore diagnosis of a patient will have implications for the patient's relatives and can raise ethical issues. Predictive genetic testing offers asymptomatic relatives the opportunity to determine their risk status for a neurogenetic condition, and professional guidelines emphasize patients' autonomy and informed, voluntary decision making. Beneficence and nonmaleficence both need to be considered when making decisions about disclosure and nondisclosure of genetic information and test results. There can be disclosure concerns and challenges in determining whose autonomy to prioritize when a patient makes a genetic testing decision that can reveal the genetic status of a relative (e.g., testing an adult child when the at-risk parent has not been tested). Ethical issues are prominent when genetic testing for neurogenetic conditions is requested prenatally, on minors, adoptees, adult children at 25% risk, and for individuals with psychiatric issues or cognitive impairment. Neurogenetic conditions can result in cognitive decline which can affect decisional capacity and lead to ethical challenges with decision making, informed consent, and determining the patient's ability to comprehend test results. The ethical implications of genetic testing and emerging issues, including direct-to-consumer genetic testing, disclosure of secondary findings from genomic sequencing, and use of apolipoprotein E testing in clinical and research settings, are also discussed. Resources for information about genetic testing practice guidelines, insurance laws, and directories of genetics clinics are included. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethical Issues in Neurogenetics

PubMed Central

Uhlmann, Wendy R.; Roberts, J. Scott

2018-01-01

Many neurogenetic conditions are inherited and therefore diagnosis of a patient will have implications for their relatives and can raise ethical issues. Predictive genetic testing offers asymptomatic relatives the opportunity to determine their risk status for a neurogenetic condition, and professional guidelines emphasize patients’ autonomy and informed, voluntary decision-making. Beneficence and non-maleficence both need to be considered when making decisions about disclosure and nondisclosure of genetic information and test results. There can be disclosure concerns and issues of determining whose autonomy to prioritize when a patient makes a genetic testing decision that can reveal the genetic status of a relative (e.g. testing an adult child when the at-risk parent has not been tested). Ethical issues are prominent when genetic testing for neurogenetic conditions is requested prenatally, on minors, adoptees, adult children at 25% risk, and for individuals with psychiatric issues or cognitive impairment. Neurogenetic conditions can result in cognitive decline which can affect decisional capacity and lead to ethical challenges with decision-making, informed consent and determining the patient’s ability to comprehend test results. The ethical implications of genetic testing and emerging issues, including direct-to-consumer genetic testing, disclosure of secondary findings from genomic sequencing, and use of APOE testing in clinical and research settings, are also discussed. Resources for information about genetic testing practice guidelines, insurance laws and directories of genetics clinics are included. PMID:29325614

Biological Information Document, Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biggs, J.

1995-12-31

This document is intended to act as a baseline source material for risk assessments which can be used in Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. The current Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) does not meet current General Design Criteria for Non-reactor Nuclear Facilities and could be shut down affecting several DOE programs. This Biological Information Document summarizes various biological studies that have been conducted in the vicinity of new Proposed RLWTF site and an Alternative site. The Proposed site is located on Mesita del Buey, a mess top, and the Alternative site is located in Mortandad Canyon. The Proposedmore » Site is devoid of overstory species due to previous disturbance and is dominated by a mixture of grasses, forbs, and scattered low-growing shrubs. Vegetation immediately adjacent to the site is a pinyon-juniper woodland. The Mortandad canyon bottom overstory is dominated by ponderosa pine, willow, and rush. The south-facing slope was dominated by ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany, oak, and muhly. The north-facing slope is dominated by Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and oak. Studies on wildlife species are limited in the vicinity of the proposed project and further studies will be necessary to accurately identify wildlife populations and to what extent they utilize the project area. Some information is provided on invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, and small mammals. Additional species information from other nearby locations is discussed in detail. Habitat requirements exist in the project area for one federally threatened wildlife species, the peregrine falcon, and one federal candidate species, the spotted bat. However, based on surveys outside of the project area but in similar habitats, these species are not expected to occur in either the Proposed or Alternative RLWTF sites. Habitat Evaluation Procedures were used to evaluate ecological functioning in the project area.« less

17 CFR 200.21a - The Ethics Counsel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false The Ethics Counsel. 200.21a...; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management General Organization § 200.21a The Ethics Counsel. (a) The Ethics Counsel within the Office of the General Counsel of the...

17 CFR 200.21a - The Ethics Counsel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false The Ethics Counsel. 200.21a...; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management General Organization § 200.21a The Ethics Counsel. (a) The Ethics Counsel within the Office of the General Counsel of the...

Ethics Requirement Score: new tool for evaluating ethics in publications

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Lígia Gabrielle; Fonseca, Ana Carolina da Costa e; Bica, Claudia Giuliano

2014-01-01

Objective To analyze ethical standards considered by health-related scientific journals, and to prepare the Ethics Requirement Score, a bibliometric index to be applied to scientific healthcare journals in order to evaluate criteria for ethics in scientific publication. Methods Journals related to healthcare selected by the Journal of Citation Reports™ 2010 database were considered as experimental units. Parameters related to publication ethics were analyzed for each journal. These parameters were acquired by analyzing the author’s guidelines or instructions in each journal website. The parameters considered were approval by an Internal Review Board, Declaration of Helsinki or Resolution 196/96, recommendations on plagiarism, need for application of Informed Consent Forms with the volunteers, declaration of confidentiality of patients, record in the database for clinical trials (if applicable), conflict of interest disclosure, and funding sources statement. Each item was analyzed considering their presence or absence. Result The foreign journals had a significantly higher Impact Factor than the Brazilian journals, however, no significant results were observed in relation to the Ethics Requirement Score. There was no correlation between the Ethics Requirement Score and the Impact Factor. Conclusion Although the Impact Factor of foreigner journals was considerably higher than that of the Brazilian publications, the results showed that the Impact Factor has no correlation with the proposed score. This allows us to state that the ethical requirements for publication in biomedical journals are not related to the comprehensiveness or scope of the journal. PMID:25628189

Ethics Requirement Score: new tool for evaluating ethics in publications.

PubMed

Santos, Lígia Gabrielle dos; Costa e Fonseca, Ana Carolina da; Bica, Claudia Giuliano

2014-01-01

To analyze ethical standards considered by health-related scientific journals, and to prepare the Ethics Requirement Score, a bibliometric index to be applied to scientific healthcare journals in order to evaluate criteria for ethics in scientific publication. Journals related to healthcare selected by the Journal of Citation Reports™ 2010 database were considered as experimental units. Parameters related to publication ethics were analyzed for each journal. These parameters were acquired by analyzing the author's guidelines or instructions in each journal website. The parameters considered were approval by an Internal Review Board, Declaration of Helsinki or Resolution 196/96, recommendations on plagiarism, need for application of Informed Consent Forms with the volunteers, declaration of confidentiality of patients, record in the database for clinical trials (if applicable), conflict of interest disclosure, and funding sources statement. Each item was analyzed considering their presence or absence. The foreign journals had a significantly higher Impact Factor than the Brazilian journals, however, no significant results were observed in relation to the Ethics Requirement Score. There was no correlation between the Ethics Requirement Score and the Impact Factor. Although the Impact Factor of foreigner journals was considerably higher than that of the Brazilian publications, the results showed that the Impact Factor has no correlation with the proposed score. This allows us to state that the ethical requirements for publication in biomedical journals are not related to the comprehensiveness or scope of the journal.

Consumers' environmental and ethical consciousness and the use of the related food products information: The role of perceived consumer effectiveness.

PubMed

Ghvanidze, Sophie; Velikova, Natalia; Dodd, Tim H; Oldewage-Theron, Wilna

2016-12-01

Consumers can be important active contributors to a sustainable society by selecting food choices that are both healthy and produced respecting environmental and socially ethical standards. The current study investigates five consumer behavioural factors - namely, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE); environmental conscious behaviour; concerns for ethical food production; health conscious lifestyle; and healthy dietary patterns. The key interest of the study lies in exploring the moderating role of PCE - the extent to which the consumer believes that his/her own efforts can make a difference - in these interrelationships. The empirical analysis was conducted through an online survey of food consumers implemented in three markets - the US, the UK and Germany. Findings indicate that for individuals with higher levels of PCE, who are environmental conscious and ethically concerned, information on food labels relating to environmental and social issues represents value by itself. Interestingly, health and nutrition information on food labels was not perceived valuable by consumers with high PCE. The predictive effects of various socio-demographic variables on PCE, consumer environmental and health consciousness are discussed. Cross-cultural differences are also outlined. The results of this research may contribute to the development of environmental policies and communication strategies of the food industry to enhance perceived consumer effectiveness among consumers. Improved PCE, in turn, may catalyze consumers' environmental behaviour and ethical concerns in relation to consumption of food products with environmental and social information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring Quality in Ethics Consultation.

PubMed

Bliss, Sally E; Oppenlander, Jane; Dahlke, Jacob M; Meyer, Gordon J; Williford, Eva M; Macauley, Robert C

2016-01-01

For all of the emphasis on quality improvement-as well as the acknowledged overlap between assessment of the quality of healthcare services and clinical ethics-the quality of clinical ethics consultation has received scant attention, especially in terms of empirical measurement. Recognizing this need, the second edition of Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation1 identified four domains of ethics quality: (1) ethicality, (2) stakeholders' satisfaction, (3) resolution of the presenting conflict/dilemma, and (4) education that translates into knowledge. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to directly measure all of these domains. Here we describe the quality improvement process undertaken at a tertiary care academic medical center, as well as the tools developed to measure the quality of ethics consultation, which include post-consultation satisfaction surveys and weekly case conferences. The information gained through these tools helps to improve not only the process of ethics consultation, but also the measurement and assurance of quality. Copyright 2016 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Ethical Considerations in Technology Transfer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froehlich, Thomas J.

1991-01-01

Examines ethical considerations involved in the transfer of appropriate information technology to less developed countries. Approaches to technology are considered; two philosophical frameworks for studying ethical considerations are discussed, i.e., the Kantian approach and the utilitarian perspective by John Stuart Mill; and integration of the…

Disciplinary supervision following ethics complaints: goals, tasks, and ethical dimensions.

PubMed

Thomas, Janet T

2014-11-01

Clinical supervision is considered an integral component of the training of psychologists, and most of the professional literature is focused on this type of supervision. But psychologists also may supervise fully credentialed colleagues in other circumstances. One such context occurs when licensing boards mandate supervision as part of a disciplinary order. When supervision is provided in disciplinary cases, there are significant implications for the ethical dimensions of the supervisory relationship and concomitant ethical challenges for supervisors. Not only are the goals, objectives, and supervisory tasks of disciplinary supervision distinct from other types of supervision, but the supervisor's ethical responsibilities also encompass unique dimensions. Competence, informed consent, boundaries, confidentiality, and documentation are examined. Recommendations for reports to licensing boards include a statement of the clinical or ethical problems instigating discipline, description of how these problems have been addressed, and an assessment of the supervisee's current practices and ability to perform competently. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A National Survey of U.S. Internists’ Experiences with Ethical Dilemmas and Ethics Consultation

PubMed Central

DuVal, Gordon; Clarridge, Brian; Gensler, Gary; Danis, Marion

2004-01-01

OBJECTIVE To identify the ethical dilemmas that internists encounter, the strategies they use to address them, and the usefulness of ethics consultation. DESIGN National telephone survey. SETTING Doctors’ offices. PARTICIPANTS General internists, oncologists, and critical care/pulmonologists (N = 344, 64% response rate). MEASUREMENTS Types of ethical dilemmas recently encountered and likelihood of requesting ethics consultation; satisfaction with resolution of ethical dilemmas with and without ethics consultation. RESULTS Internists most commonly reported dilemmas regarding end-of-life decision making, patient autonomy, justice, and conflict resolution. General internists, oncologists, and critical care specialists reported participating in an average of 1.4, 1.3, and 4.1 consultations in the preceding 2 years, respectively (P < .0001). Physicians with the least ethics training had the least access to and participated in the fewest ethics consultations; 19% reported consultation was unavailable at their predominant practice site. Dilemmas about end-of-life decisions and patient autonomy were often referred for consultation, while dilemmas about justice, such as lack of insurance or limited resources, were rarely referred. While most physicians thought consultations yielded information that would be useful in dealing with future ethical dilemmas (72%), some hesitated to seek ethics consultation because they believed it was too time consuming (29%), might make the situation worse (15%), or that consultants were unqualified (11%). CONCLUSIONS While most internists recall recent ethical dilemmas in their practices, those with the least preparation and experience have the least access to ethics consultation. Health care organizations should emphasize ethics educational activities to prepare physicians for handling ethical dilemmas on their own and should improve the accessibility and responsiveness of ethics consultation when needed. PMID:15009780

Incorporating Ethics and Social Responsibility in IS Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Albert L.; Lang, Michael; Yates, Dave; Kruck, S. E.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the importance of ethics and social responsibility in information systems (IS) education. The many public scandals of corporate misconduct have increased the need for more emphasis to be placed on ethics and ethical issues in IS education. The authors describe how the inclusion of ethics and social responsibility in the IS…

Resources to Support Ethical Practice in Evaluation: An Interview with the Director of the National Center for Research and Professional Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodyear, Leslie

2012-01-01

Where do evaluators find resources on ethics and ethical practice? This article highlights a relatively new online resource, a centerpiece project of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics (NCPRE), which brings together information on best practices in ethics in research, academia, and business in an online portal and center. It…

Ethics skills laboratory experience for surgery interns.

PubMed

Moon, Margaret R; Hughes, Mark T; Chen, Jiin-Yu; Khaira, Kiran; Lipsett, Pamela; Carrese, Joseph A

2014-01-01

Ethics curricula are nearly universal in residency training programs, but the content and delivery methods are not well described, and there is still a relative paucity of literature evaluating the effect of ethics curricula. Several commentators have called for more ethics curriculum development at the postgraduate level, and specifically in surgery training. We detail our development and implementation of a clinical ethics curriculum for surgery interns. We developed curricula and simulated patient cases for 2 core clinical ethics skills--breaking bad news and obtaining informed consent. Educational sessions for each topic included (1) framework development (discussion of interns' current experience, development of a consensus framework for ethical practice, and comparison with established frameworks) and (2) practice with simulated patient followed by peer and faculty feedback. At the beginning and end of each session, we administered a test of confidence and knowledge about the topics to assess the effect of the sessions. A total of 98 surgical interns participated in the ethics skills laboratory from Spring 2008 to Spring 2011. We identified significant improvement in confidence regarding the appropriate content of informed consent (<0.001) and capacity to break bad news (<0.001). We also identified significant improvement in overall knowledge regarding informed consent (<0.01), capacity assessment (<0.05), and breaking bad news (0.001). Regarding specific components of informed consent, capacity assessment, and breaking bad news, significant improvement was shown in some areas, while we failed to improve knowledge in others. Through faculty-facilitated small group discussion, surgery interns were able to develop frameworks for ethical practice that paralleled established frameworks. Skills-based training in clinical ethics resulted in an increase in knowledge scores and self-reported confidence. Evaluation of 4 annual cohorts of surgery interns demonstrates

Duty to Inform and Informed Consent in Diagnostic Radiology: How Ethics and Law can Better Guide Practice.

PubMed

Doudenkova, Victoria; Bélisle Pipon, Jean-Christophe

2016-03-01

Although there is consensus on the fact that ionizing radiation used in radiological examinations can affect health, the stochastic (random) nature of risk makes it difficult to anticipate and assess specific health implications for patients. The issue of radiation protection is peculiar as any dosage received in life is cumulative, the sensitivity to radiation is highly variable from one person to another, and between 20 % and 50 % of radiological examinations appear not to be necessary. In this context, one might reasonably assume that information and patient consent would play an important role in regulating radiological practice. However, there is to date no clear consensus regarding the nature and content of-or even need for-consent by patients exposed to ionizing radiation. While law and ethics support the same principles for respecting the dignity of the person (inviolability and integrity), in the context of radiology practice, they do not provide a consistent message to guide clinical decision-making. This article analyzes the issue of healthcare professionals' duty to inform and obtain patient consent for radiological examinations. Considering that both law and ethics have as one of their aims to protect vulnerable populations, it is important that they begin to give greater attention to issues raised by the use of ionizing radiation in medicine. While the situation in Canada serves as a backdrop for a reflective analysis of the problem, the conclusions are pertinent for professional practice in other jurisdictions because the principles underlying health law and jurisprudence are fairly general.

The ethics of managing affective and emotional states to improve informed consent: autonomy, comprehension, and voluntariness.

PubMed

Braude, Hillel; Kimmelman, Jonathan

2012-03-01

Over the past several decades the 'affective revolution' in cognitive psychology has emphasized the critical role affect and emotion play in human decision-making. Drawing on this affective literature, various commentators have recently proposed strategies for managing therapeutic expectation that use contextual, symbolic, or emotive interventions in the consent process to convey information or enhance comprehension. In this paper, we examine whether affective consent interventions that target affect and emotion can be reconciled with widely accepted standards for autonomous action. More specifically, the ethics of affective consent interventions is assessed in terms of key elements of autonomy, comprehension and voluntariness. While there may appear to be a moral obligation to manage the affective environment to ensure valid informed consent, in circumstances where volunteers may be prone to problematic therapeutic expectancy, this moral obligation needs to be weighed against the potential risks of human instrumentalization. At this point in time we do not have enough information to be able to justify clearly the programmatic manipulation of human subjects' affective states. The lack of knowledge about affective interventions requires corresponding caution in its ethical justification. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Research Ethics Consultation: Ethical and Professional Practice Challenges and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Sharp, Richard R.; Taylor, Holly A.; Brinich, Margaret A.; Boyle, Mary M.; Cho, Mildred; Coors, Marilyn; Danis, Marion; Havard, Molly; Magnus, David; Wilfond, Benjamin

2015-01-01

The complexity of biomedical research has increased considerably in the last decade, as has the pace of translational research. This complexity has generated a number of novel ethical issues for clinical investigators, institutional review boards (IRBs), and other oversight committees. In response, many academic medical centers have created formal research ethics consultation (REC) services to help clinical investigators and IRBs navigate ethical issues in biomedical research. Key functions of a REC service include: assisting with research design and implementation, providing a forum for deliberative exploration of ethical issues, and supplementing regulatory oversight. As increasing numbers of academic research institutions establish REC services, there is a pressing need for consensus about the primary aims and policies that should guide these activities. Establishing clear expectations about the aims and policies of REC services is important if REC programs are to achieve their full potential. Drawing on the experiences of a Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Research Ethics Consultation Working Group, this article describes three major ethical and professional practice challenges associated with the provision of REC: 1) managing multiple institutional roles and responsibilities, 2) managing sensitive information, and 3) communicating with consultation requestors about how these issues are managed. The paper also presents several practical strategies for addressing these challenges and enhancing the quality of REC services. PMID:25607942

ASSESSMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS FOUND IN LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE STREAMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

R.H. Little, P.R. Maul, J.S.S. Penfoldag

2003-02-27

This paper describes and presents the findings from two studies undertaken for the European Commission to assess the long-term impact upon the environment and human health of non-radioactive contaminants found in various low level radioactive waste streams. The initial study investigated the application of safety assessment approaches developed for radioactive contaminants to the assessment of nonradioactive contaminants in low level radioactive waste. It demonstrated how disposal limits could be derived for a range of non-radioactive contaminants and generic disposal facilities. The follow-up study used the same approach but undertook more detailed, disposal system specific calculations, assessing the impacts of bothmore » the non-radioactive and radioactive contaminants. The calculations undertaken indicated that it is prudent to consider non-radioactive, as well as radioactive contaminants, when assessing the impacts of low level radioactive waste disposal. For some waste streams with relatively low concentrations of radionuclides, the potential post-closure disposal impacts from non-radioactive contaminants can be comparable with the potential radiological impacts. For such waste streams there is therefore an added incentive to explore options for recycling the materials involved wherever possible.« less

Ethics consultants and ethics committees.

PubMed

La Puma, J; Toulmin, S E

1989-05-01

To address moral questions in patient care, hospitals and health care systems have enlisted the help of hospital ethicists, ethics committees, and ethics consultation services. Most physicians have not been trained in the concepts, skills, or language of clinical ethics, and few ethicists have been trained in clinical medicine, so neither group can fully identify, analyze, and resolve clinical ethical problems. Some ethics committees have undertaken clinical consultations themselves, but liability concerns and variable standards for membership hinder their efforts. An ethics consultation service comprising both physician-ethicists and nonphysician-ethicists brings complementary viewpoints to the management of particular cases. If they are to be effective consultants, however, nonphysician-ethicists need to be "clinicians": professionals who understand an individual patient's medical condition and personal situation well enough to help in managing the case. Ethics consultants and ethics committees may work together, but they have separate identities and distinct objectives: ethics consultants are responsible for patient care, while ethics committees are administrative bodies whose primary task is to advise in creating institutional policy.

Global ethics and principlism.

PubMed

Gordon, John-Stewart

2011-09-01

This article examines the special relation between common morality and particular moralities in the four-principles approach and its use for global ethics. It is argued that the special dialectical relation between common morality and particular moralities is the key to bridging the gap between ethical universalism and relativism. The four-principles approach is a good model for a global bioethics by virtue of its ability to mediate successfully between universal demands and cultural diversity. The principle of autonomy (i.e., the idea of individual informed consent), however, does need to be revised so as to make it compatible with alternatives such as family- or community-informed consent. The upshot is that the contribution of the four-principles approach to global ethics lies in the so-called dialectical process and its power to deal with cross-cultural issues against the background of universal demands by joining them together.

Radioactive Nanomaterials for Multimodality Imaging

PubMed Central

Chen, Daiqin; Dougherty, Casey A.; Yang, Dongzhi; Wu, Hongwei; Hong, Hao

2016-01-01

Nuclear imaging techniques, including primarily positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), can provide quantitative information for a biological event in vivo with ultra-high sensitivity, however, the comparatively low spatial resolution is their major limitation in clinical application. By convergence of nuclear imaging with other imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging, the hybrid imaging platforms can overcome the limitations from each individual imaging technique. Possessing versatile chemical linking ability and good cargo-loading capacity, radioactive nanomaterials can serve as ideal imaging contrast agents. In this review, we provide a brief overview about current state-of-the-art applications of radioactive nanomaterials in the circumstances of multimodality imaging. We present strategies for incorporation of radioisotope(s) into nanomaterials along with applications of radioactive nanomaterials in multimodal imaging. Advantages and limitations of radioactive nanomaterials for multimodal imaging applications are discussed. Finally, a future perspective of possible radioactive nanomaterial utilization is presented for improving diagnosis and patient management in a variety of diseases. PMID:27227167

A Proposal for a UK Ethics Council for Animal Policy: The Case for Putting Ethics Back into Policy Making.

PubMed

McCulloch, Steven P; Reiss, Michael J

2018-06-07

Substantial controversy is a consistent feature of UK animal health and welfare policy. BSE, foot and mouth disease, bovine TB and badger culling, large indoor dairies, and wild animals in circuses are examples. Such policy issues are inherently normative; they include a substantial moral dimension. This paper reviews UK animal welfare advisory bodies such as the Animal Health and Welfare Board of England, the Farm Animal Welfare Council and the Animals in Science Committee. These bodies play a key advisory role, but do not have adequate expertise in ethics to inform the moral dimension of policy. We propose an "Ethics Council for Animal Policy" to inform the UK government on policy that significantly impacts sentient species. We review existing Councils (e.g., the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and The Netherlands Council on Animal Affairs) and examine some widely used ethical frameworks (e.g., Banner's principles and the ethical matrix). The Ethics Council for Animal Policy should be independent from government and members should have substantial expertise in ethics and related disciplines. A pluralistic six-stage ethical framework is proposed: (i) Problematisation of the policy issue, (ii) utilitarian analysis, (iii) animal rights analysis, (iv) virtue-based analysis, (v) animal welfare ethic analysis, and (vi) integrated ethical analysis. The paper concludes that an Ethics Council for Animal Policy is necessary for just and democratic policy making in all societies that use sentient nonhuman species.

Ethical issues in public health surveillance: a systematic qualitative review.

PubMed

Klingler, Corinna; Silva, Diego Steven; Schuermann, Christopher; Reis, Andreas Alois; Saxena, Abha; Strech, Daniel

2017-04-04

Public health surveillance is not ethically neutral and yet, ethics guidance and training for surveillance programmes is sparse. Development of ethics guidance should be based on comprehensive and transparently derived overviews of ethical issues and arguments. However, existing overviews on surveillance ethics are limited in scope and in how transparently they derived their results. Our objective was accordingly to provide an overview of ethical issues in public health surveillance; in addition, to list the arguments put forward with regards to arguably the most contested issue in surveillance, that is whether to obtain informed consent. Ethical issues were defined based on principlism. We assumed an ethical issue to arise in surveillance when a relevant normative principle is not adequately considered or two principles come into conflict. We searched Pubmed and Google Books for relevant publications. We analysed and synthesized the data using qualitative content analysis. Our search strategy retrieved 525 references of which 83 were included in the analysis. We identified 86 distinct ethical issues arising in the different phases of the surveillance life-cycle. We further identified 20 distinct conditions that make it more or less justifiable to forego informed consent procedures. This is the first systematic qualitative review of ethical issues in public health surveillance resulting in a comprehensive ethics matrix that can inform guidelines, reports, strategy papers, and educational material and raise awareness among practitioners.

A New Model for Teaching Ethical Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Robert J.

2009-01-01

One can scarcely open the newspaper without finding examples of smart, well-educated people who have behaved in ethically challenged ways. What is frightening about ethical lapses is not that they happen to the ethically outrageous but that they can sneak up on just about everyone. An informal classroom "experiment" recently performed by this…

How Do Healthcare Employees Rate the Ethics of Their Organization? An Analysis Based on VA IntegratedEthics@ Staff Survey Data.

PubMed

Cohen, Jennifer H; Foglia, Mary Beth; Kwong, Katherine; Pearlman, Robert; Fox, Ellen

2015-01-01

Healthcare organizations with an ethical culture experience higher levels of employee productivity, less staff turnover, better levels of patient safety, resource and cost savings, and higher levels of patient satisfaction. Employees' perceptions of the ethics of their organization are considered a good indicator of the ethics culture. How employees rate the ethics of their organization is not well understood. Previous research has identified a number of attributes that are salient to employees' perceptions in this area. However, little is known about how employees synthesize their perceptions of these attributes to rate the ethics of their organization. Without this knowledge, managers have little specific information to act on to improve practices that would in turn improve employees' perceptions of their organization's ethics. For this study, we used data from Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) 2014 IntegratedEthics@ Staff Survey administered to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff. We used multivariate regression analyses to investigate how VHA employees weigh their perceptions of eight attributes of an ethical organization to inform an overall rating of the ethics of their organization. We found that employee perceptions of fairness, clarity of expectations, accountability, and leadership's prioritization of ethics had the strongest associations with the overall rating. In addition, employees disproportionately weighed their positive perceptions in determining their overall rating. Therefore, a strategy to improve employees' perceptions of these attributes could potentially have the greatest marginal return on investment with respect to improving employees' perceptions of the ethics of an organization.

A comparative study on the information ethics of junior high school students cognition and behavior between Taiwan and China: Kaohsiung and Nanjing regions used as examples.

PubMed

Chiang, Wen-Jiuh; Chen, Chihchia; Teng, Chiachien; Gu, Jiangjun

2008-03-01

A great deal of progress has been made on information ethics. Which portion is not sufficient? That might be the comparison from countries to countries. The purpose of this study was closely examined using the cross-cultural method for comparison. To determine the ethics cognitions and behaviors of the students, a comprehensive survey was distributed. The questionnaire for the study used Mason's four essential factors in information ethics that included Privacy, Accuracy, Property and Accessibility (PAPA). The samples were comprised of Kaohsiung Taiwan and Nanjing China, junior high school students in 2006. The sample and the survey were obtained from two stages of random sampling that was conducted using an Internet website. Students could read the online questionnaire in the computer laboratory and then send immediate feedback to the website server. The result of the experiment showed the divergence of information ethics in cognition and behavior between Kaohsiung and Nanjing school children. The effects of background and correlation are from cognition and behavior between two regions.

Teaching Information Ethics to High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehman, Kathy

2009-01-01

The new AASL standards clearly spell out ethical responsibilities, which school librarians strive to instill and model as they work with staff and students. In this article, the author presents the AASL standards together with some tips and lesson ideas which she and her library partner have put into practice within their library media program.

Teaching medical ethics and law.

PubMed

Parker, Malcolm

2012-03-01

The teaching of medical ethics is not yet characterised by recognised, standard requirements for formal qualifications, training and experience; this is not surprising as the field is still relatively young and maturing. Under the broad issue of the requirements for teaching medical ethics are numerous more specific questions, one of which concerns whether medical ethics can be taught in isolation from considerations of the law, and vice versa. Ethics and law are cognate, though distinguishable, disciplines. In a practical, professional enterprise such as medicine, they cannot and should not be taught as separate subjects. One way of introducing students to the links and tensions between medical ethics and law is to consider the history of law via its natural and positive traditions. This encourages understanding of how medical practice is placed within the contexts of ethics and law in the pluralist societies in which most students will practise. Four examples of topics from medical ethics teaching are described to support this claim. Australasian medical ethics teachers have paid less attention to the role of law in their curricula than their United Kingdom counterparts. Questions like the one addressed here will help inform future deliberations concerning minimal requirements for teaching medical ethics.

Ethical issues in trauma-related research: a review.

PubMed

Newman, Elana; Risch, Elizabeth; Kassam-Adams, Nancy

2006-09-01

ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING ABOUT TRAUMA-RELATED STUDIES requires a flexible approach that counters assumptions and biases about victims, assures a favorable ethical cost-benefit ratio, and promotes advancement of knowledge that can benefit survivors of traumatic stress. This paper reviews several ethical issues in the field of traumatic stress: benefit and risks in trauma-related research, whether trauma-related research poses unique risks and if so what those might be, informed consent and mandatory reporting, and supervision of trauma-related research. For each topic, we review potential ethical issues, summarize the research conducted thus far to inform ethical practice, and recommend future practice, research questions and policies to advance the field so that research on trauma can continue to be a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the research enterprise.

What do international ethics guidelines say in terms of the scope of medical research ethics?

PubMed

Bernabe, Rosemarie D L C; van Thiel, Ghislaine J M W; van Delden, Johannes J M

2016-04-26

In research ethics, the most basic question would always be, "which is an ethical issue, which is not?" Interestingly, depending on which ethics guideline we consult, we may have various answers to this question. Though we already have several international ethics guidelines for biomedical research involving human participants, ironically, we do not have a harmonized document which tells us what these various guidelines say and shows us the areas of consensus (or lack thereof). In this manuscript, we attempted to do just that. We extracted the imperatives from five internationally-known ethics guidelines and took note where the imperatives came from. In doing so, we gathered data on how many guidelines support a specific imperative. We found that there is no consensus on the majority of the imperatives and that in only 8.2% of the imperatives were there at least moderate consensus (i.e., consensus of at least 3 of the 5 ethics guidelines). Of the 12 clusters (Basic Principles; Research Collaboration; Social Value; Scientific Validity; Participant Selection; Favorable Benefit/Risk Ratio; Independent Review; Informed Consent; Respect for Participants; Publication and Registration; Regulatory Sanctions; and Justified Research on the Vulnerable Population), Informed Consent has the highest level of consensus and Research Collaboration and Regulatory Sanctions have the least. There was a lack of consensus in the majority of imperatives from the five internationally-known ethics guidelines. This may be partly explained by the differences among the guidelines in terms of their levels of specification as well as conceptual/ideological differences.

Two concepts of empirical ethics.

PubMed

Parker, Malcolm

2009-05-01

The turn to empirical ethics answers two calls. The first is for a richer account of morality than that afforded by bioethical principlism, which is cast as excessively abstract and thin on the facts. The second is for the facts in question to be those of human experience and not some other, unworldly realm. Empirical ethics therefore promises a richer naturalistic ethics, but in fulfilling the second call it often fails to heed the metaethical requirements related to the first. Empirical ethics risks losing the normative edge which necessarily characterizes the ethical, by failing to account for the nature and the logic of moral norms. I sketch a naturalistic theory, teleological expressivism (TE), which negotiates the naturalistic fallacy by providing a more satisfactory means of taking into account facts and research data with ethical implications. The examples of informed consent and the euthanasia debate are used to illustrate the superiority of this approach, and the problems consequent on including the facts in the wrong kind of way.

[Standard operating procedures in ethic committees].

PubMed

Czarkowski, Marek

2006-02-01

Polish ethic committees should have to work together in order to maintain and develop high quality standards in the protection of human subjects. Exchanging knowledge, know-how and information polish ethic committees should have to implement standard operating procedures. Procedures should improve quality and proficiency of all types of ethic committee's activities. Standard operating procedures should cover as important problems as conflict of interest, trial's insurance or elections of ethic committees. The opinions of experts who have been reviewing medical research projects for several years may prove to be especially valuable in this setting. Governmental initiatives and creation of forum for polish ethic committees are essential in the effective standardisation, coordination and implementation of procedures in regional ethic committees. These projects need support via public funding from our authorities.

Ethics in reproductive genetics.

PubMed

Fletcher, J C; Evans, M I

1992-12-01

Ethics in reproductive genetics comprise descriptive ethics and normative ethics. Ethical problems before prenatal diagnosis involve genetic counseling and informed consent for the choice patients must make. Prenatal diagnosis using amniocentesis is controversial. An international survey of geneticists showed that 25% would do prenatal diagnosis for sex selection, and 17% would refer the couple elsewhere. Hungary (60%), India (37%), the US (34%), Canada (30%), Greece (29%), and Sweden (28%) would do prenatal diagnosis. The statistical incidence of positive findings after prenatal diagnosis does not exceed 4% of all cases when most couples choose abortion. Respect for parental choice and for nondirective counseling was supported in responses to 3 cases in the international survey that also had disclosure dilemmas included with abortion choices. 84% of respondents would be nondirective for XYY and 88% for XO. In India, Hungary, Turkey, and Norway, 46%, 40%, 40%, and 33%, respectively, would advise aborting an XO (Turner) fetus. A survey of 737 genetics and obstetricians and ethicists and clergy showed acceptability of abortion in singleton pregnancies and in twins associated strongly with the trimester of pregnancy, indication for selective termination, and fetal number. Prior group review of risks and benefits of experimental fetal therapy, case selection for experimental fetal therapy, the optimal informed-consent process for fetal therapy, twin pregnancies, refusal of proven fetal therapy, the lack of federal support for research in fetal diagnosis (preimplantation embryo diagnosis) and therapy, and sources of a moral obligation are also addressed. The Belmont Report on the ethics of biomedical research in the US proposed ethical principles to guide research with human subjects including the fetus: respect for parsons, beneficence, and justice.

Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.

1991-07-01

The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations.more » This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature.« less

Ethics in clinical research: the Indian perspective.

PubMed

Sanmukhani, J; Tripathi, C B

2011-03-01

Ethics in clinical research focuses largely on identifying and implementing the acceptable conditions for exposure of some individuals to risks and burdens for the benefit of society at large. Ethical guidelines for clinical research were formulated only after discovery of inhumane behaviour with participants during research experiments. The Nuremberg Code was the first international code laying ethical principles for clinical research. With increasing research all over, World Health Organization formulated guidelines in the form of Declaration of Helsinki in 1964. The US laid down its guidelines for ethical principles in the Belmont Report after discovery of the Tuskegee's Syphilis study. The Indian Council of Medical Research has laid down the 'Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research on Human Subjects' in the year 2000 which were revised in 2006. It gives twelve general principles to be followed by all biomedical researchers working in the country. The Ethics Committee stands as the bridge between the researcher and the ethical guidelines of the country. The basic responsibility of the Ethics Committee is to ensure an independent, competent and timely review of all ethical aspects of the project proposals received in order to safeguard the dignity, rights, safety and well-being of all actual or potential research participants. A well-documented informed consent process is the hallmark of any ethical research work. Informed consent respects individual's autonomy, to participate or not to participate in research. Concepts of vulnerable populations, therapeutic misconception and post trial access hold special importance in ethical conduct of research, especially in developing countries like India, where most of the research participants are uneducated and economically backward.

An ethical framework for cardiac report cards: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Richard, Shawn A; Rawal, Shail; Martin, Douglas K

2005-03-28

The recent proliferation of health care report cards, especially in cardiac care, has occurred in the absence of an ethical framework to guide in their development and implementation. An ethical framework is a consistent and comprehensive theoretical foundation in ethics, and is formed by integrating ethical theories, relevant literature, and other critical information (such as the views of stakeholders). An ethical framework in the context of cardiac care provides guidance for developing cardiac report cards (CRCs) that are relevant and legitimate to all stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to develop an ethical framework for CRCs. Delphi technique - 13 panelists: 2 administrators, 2 cardiac nurses, 5 cardiac patients, 2 cardiologists, 1 member of the media, and 1 outcomes researcher. Panelists' views regarding the ethics of CRCs were analyzed and organized into themes. We have organized panelists' views into ten principles that emerged from the data: 1) improving quality of care, 2) informed understanding, 3) public accountability, 4) transparency, 5) equity, 6) access to information 7) quality of information, 8) multi-stakeholder collaboration, 9) legitimacy, and 10) evaluation and continuous quality improvement. We have developed a framework to guide the development and dissemination of CRCs. This ethical framework can provide necessary guidance for those generating CRCs and may help them avoid a number of difficult issues associated with existing ones.

[Responsibilities of ethics committees].

PubMed

von Bergmann, K

1999-01-15

Increasing numbers of clinical research projects are submitted to ethical committees (institutional review boards) for approval. New therapeutic developments have to be evaluated by these committees to protect patients/volunteers. Thus, the responsibility of ethical committees is increasing. The "Nürnberger Kodex" and the "Declaration of Helsinki" are the background for these evaluations. According to the German drug law the physician is obligated by law to submit the protocol to such a committee. In addition, local state physician authorities require such a procedure. Important considerations during the review process besides ethical aspects are the informed consent, which should be written in an understandable form, and the obligations of the insurance.

[Responsibilities of ethics committees].

PubMed

von Bergmann, K

2000-05-01

Increasing numbers of clinical research projects are submitted to ethical committees (institutional review boards) for approval. New therapeutic developments have to be evaluated by these committees to protect patients/volunteers. Thus, the responsibility of ethical committees is increasing. The "Nürnberger Kodex" and the "Declaration of Helsinki" are the background for these evaluations. According to the German drug law the physician is obligated by law to submit the protocol to such a committee. In addition, local state physician authorities require such a procedure. Important considerations during the review process besides ethical aspects are the informed consent, which should be written in an understandable form, and the obligations of the insurance.

Neuroscientists' everyday experiences of ethics: the interplay of regulatory, professional, personal and tangible ethical spheres.

PubMed

Brosnan, Caragh; Cribb, Alan; Wainwright, Steven P; Williams, Clare

2013-11-01

The ethical issues neuroscience raises are subject to increasing attention, exemplified in the emergence of the discipline neuroethics. While the moral implications of neurotechnological developments are often discussed, less is known about how ethics intersects with everyday work in neuroscience and how scientists themselves perceive the ethics of their research. Drawing on observation and interviews with members of one UK group conducting neuroscience research at both the laboratory bench and in the clinic, this article examines what ethics meant to these researchers and delineates four specific types of ethics that shaped their day-to-day work: regulatory, professional, personal and tangible. While the first three categories are similar to those identified elsewhere in sociological work on scientific and clinical ethics, the notion of 'tangible ethics' emerged by attending to everyday practice, in which these scientists' discursive distinctions between right and wrong were sometimes challenged. The findings shed light on how ethical positions produce and are, in turn, produced by scientific practice. Informing sociological understandings of neuroscience, they also throw the category of neuroscience and its ethical specificity into question, given that members of this group did not experience their work as raising issues that were distinctly neuro-ethical. © 2013 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creating a Controlled Vocabulary for the Ethics of Human Research: Towards a Biomedical Ethics Ontology

PubMed Central

Koepsell, David; Arp, Robert; Fostel, Jennifer; Smith, Barry

2009-01-01

Ontologies describe reality in specific domains in ways that can bridge various disciplines and languages. They allow easier access and integration of information that is collected by different groups. Ontologies are currently used in the biomedical sciences, geography, and law. A Biomedical Ethics Ontology (BMEO) would benefit members of ethics committees who deal with protocols and consent forms spanning numerous fields of inquiry. There already exists the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations (OBI); the proposed BMEO would interoperate with OBI, creating a powerful information tool. We define a domain ontology and begin to construct a BMEO, focused on the process of evaluating human research protocols. Finally, we show how our BMEO can have practical applications for ethics committees. This paper describes ongoing research and a strategy for its broader continuation and cooperation. PMID:19374479

Evaluation Team Dynamics: Intragroup Ethical Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urias, David

2009-01-01

Ethical challenges associated with the relationships among members of an evaluative team/organization receive less attention. Examples of the kinds of ethical dilemmas that could occur within an evaluation team include an individual taking undeserved credit, transferring blame, making false promises, withholding information, breaching…

[Medical ethics as professional ethics].

PubMed

Kwon, Ivo

2012-09-25

Contemporary medical ethics is far from the traditional concept of "In-Sul (benevolent art)" or "Yul-Li (倫, ethics), which emphasizes so much the personality or the character of a doctor. Nowadays, medical ethics should be considered as "professional ethics" which regulates the acts and medical practices of ordinary doctors in their daily practice. The key concepts of the professional ethics are "autonomy", "integrity", and "professional standard" established by medical organizations such as medical societies or associations. Most of Korean doctors have not been familiar with the concept of professional ethics or professionalism, which is due to the modern history of Korea. However, the concept of professional ethics is really critical to Korean doctors from the perspective of professional dignity and social respect to this profession. The current healthcare system of Korea is suffering from many problems of both private and public sector. Nonetheless, the professional ethics is urgently demanded for that very reason.

The Ethics of Doing Ethics.

PubMed

Hansson, Sven Ove

2017-02-01

Ethicists have investigated ethical problems in other disciplines, but there has not been much discussion of the ethics of their own activities. Research in ethics has many ethical problems in common with other areas of research, and it also has problems of its own. The researcher's integrity is more precarious than in most other disciplines, and therefore even stronger procedural checks are needed to protect it. The promotion of some standpoints in ethical issues may be socially harmful, and even our decisions as to which issues we label as "ethical" may have unintended and potentially harmful social consequences. It can be argued that ethicists have an obligation to make positive contributions to society, but the practical implications of such an obligation are not easily identified. This article provides an overview of ethical issues that arise in research into ethics and in the application of such research. It ends with a list of ten practical proposals for how these issues should be dealt with.

Ethics in sports medicine.

PubMed

Dunn, Warren R; George, Michael S; Churchill, Larry; Spindler, Kurt P

2007-05-01

Physicians have struggled with the medical ramifications of athletic competition since ancient Greece, where rational medicine and organized athletics originated. Historically, the relationship between sport and medicine was adversarial because of conflicts between health and sport. However, modern sports medicine has emerged with the goal of improving performance and preventing injury, and the concept of the "team physician" has become an integral part of athletic culture. With this distinction come unique ethical challenges because the customary ethical norms for most forms of clinical practice, such as confidentiality and patient autonomy, cannot be translated easily into sports medicine. The particular areas of medical ethics that present unique challenges in sports medicine are informed consent, third parties, advertising, confidentiality, drug use, and innovative technology. Unfortunately, there is no widely accepted code of sports medicine ethics that adequately addresses these issues.

Ethics and the University. Professional Ethics Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Michael

This book brings together the closely related topics of the practice of ethics in the university, "academic ethics," and the teaching of practical, or applied, ethics in the university. The volume considers practical ethics, research ethics, the teaching of ethics, and sexual ethics as related to the university. The chapters are: (1) "The Ethics…

Ethical evaluation of research proposals by ethics panels advising the European Commission.

PubMed

Kolar, Roman

2004-06-01

Ethical principles with regard to animal experimentation are referred to in European Union (EU) legislation and other official documents. Therefore, applications for funding of research under the EU's research programme may undergo an ethical review that is carried out by so-called ethics panels, consisting of experts chosen by the European Commission. The work of these panels differs substantially from that of other ethical committees, as they exist on the institutional, local, regional or national level. Their main purpose is not to decide whether a proposed research can be regarded legal, and therefore should be endorsed or licensed; instead, it is to help the Commission in prioritising its funding. The panels may examine other ethical aspects than those of animal experimentation or animal welfare alone, such as the use of human volunteers. This is reflected by the composition of the panels. Their decisions are normally based on consensus. Even though these decisions may refer to EU legislation, the criteria applied are not restricted to those provided by this legislation. Nevertheless, the various aspects of the Commission's ethical evaluation system (e.g. formal and practical basic conditions, information content of applications, type of decisions taken, lacking of any quality control) offers opportunities for improvement.

[Continuing education in ethics: from clinical ethics to institutional ethics].

PubMed

Brazeau-Lamontagne, Lucie

2012-01-01

The mandate of the Ethics Committee of the Conseil de médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens (CMDP) at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), Sherbrooke, Quebec is three-fold: to guide the clinical decision; to address the institutional ethical function; to create the program for continuing education in ethics (Formation éthique continue or FEC). Might FEC be the means of bridging from individual ethics to institutional ethics at a hospital? To take the FEC perspectives considered appropriate for doctors and consider them for validation or disproving in the context of those of other professionals. Situate the proposed FEC mandate in a reference framework to evaluate (or triangulate) the clinical decision and the institutional ethic. CONVICTION: Sustainable professional development for doctors (DPD) includes ethics; it cannot be ignored. Without constant attention to upgrading one's abilities in professional ethics, these suffer the same fate as other professional aptitudes and competences (for example, techniques and scientific knowledge): decay.

Cultural context in medical ethics: lessons from Japan.

PubMed

Powell, Tia

2006-04-03

This paper examines two topics in Japanese medical ethics: non-disclosure of medical information by Japanese physicians, and the history of human rights abuses by Japanese physicians during World War II. These contrasting issues show how culture shapes our view of ethically appropriate behavior in medicine. An understanding of cultural context reveals that certain practices, such as withholding diagnostic information from patients, may represent ethical behavior in that context. In contrast, nonconsensual human experimentation designed to harm the patient is inherently unethical irrespective of cultural context. Attempts to define moral consensus in bioethics, and to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable variation across different cultural contexts, remain central challenges in articulating international, culturally sensitive norms in medical ethics.

Cultural context in medical ethics: lessons from Japan

PubMed Central

Powell, Tia

2006-01-01

This paper examines two topics in Japanese medical ethics: non-disclosure of medical information by Japanese physicians, and the history of human rights abuses by Japanese physicians during World War II. These contrasting issues show how culture shapes our view of ethically appropriate behavior in medicine. An understanding of cultural context reveals that certain practices, such as withholding diagnostic information from patients, may represent ethical behavior in that context. In contrast, nonconsensual human experimentation designed to harm the patient is inherently unethical irrespective of cultural context. Attempts to define moral consensus in bioethics, and to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable variation across different cultural contexts, remain central challenges in articulating international, culturally sensitive norms in medical ethics. PMID:16759415

Ethical Orientations for Understanding Business Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Phillip V.; Speck, Henry E., III

1990-01-01

Argues that history provides the necessary framework in which both to discuss and to seek answers to the three necessary and sequential questions about business ethics: (1) What is ethics and what does it mean to be ethical? (2) Why be ethical?; and (3) How can one be ethical? (SG)

The Teaching of Life-Line Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridger, James A.

1977-01-01

Outlines techniques used in teaching a course in "life-line" ethics, in which the events of conception, birth and death are related to ethical issues of abortion, suicide, euthanasia, etc. Several modes of actively involving students are described. Lists seven reference for information on bioethical issues. (CS)

Ethics in prevention science involving genetic testing.

PubMed

Fisher, Celia B; Harrington McCarthy, Erika L

2013-06-01

The Human Genome Project and rapid technological advances in genomics have begun to enrich prevention science's contributions to understanding the role of genetic factors in the etiology, onset and escalation of mental disorders, allowing for more precise descriptions of the interplay between genetic and non-genetic influences. Understanding of ethical challenges associated with the integration of genetic data into prevention science has not kept pace with the rapid increase in the collection and storage of genetic data and dissemination of research results. This article discusses ethical issues associated with (1) decisions to withhold or disclose personal genetic information to participants; (2) implications of recruitment and data collection methods that may reveal genetic information of family members; and the (3) nature and timing of informed consent. These issues are presented within the contexts of adult and pediatric research, longitudinal studies, and use of biobanks for storage of genetic materials. Recommendations for research ethics decision-making are provided. The article concludes with a section on justice and research burdens and the unique ethical responsibilities of prevention scientists to ensure the new genomic science protects the informational rights of participants, their families and communities.

Ethics and the pediatric surgeon.

PubMed

Fallat, Mary E; Caniano, Donna A; Fecteau, Annie H

2007-01-01

Care of infants and children with life-impairing or life-threatening congenital and acquired disorders often raises ethical concerns for pediatric surgeons. The purpose of this survey was to determine the level of interest in clinical ethics and how respondents would manage ethical dilemmas within several clinical case scenarios. A 12-item validated questionnaire developed by the Ethics and Advocacy Committee was provided for the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA; www.eapsa.org) members on the organizational website. General categories of questions included informed consent, patient privacy, and what constitutes research. The survey was completed by 235 of the 825 APSA members; a response rate of 28.4%. The majority (62%) were in academic practice, 22% had additional education or an advanced degree in ethics, and 11% were members of a hospital ethics committee. There was a clear majority response for seven questions. Topics generating the most controversy included the impact of consent by minors, decision making in the neurologically devastated child, what constitutes research in pediatric surgery, the use of interpreters for consent, and patient privacy. Respondents chose a well-referenced manuscript as the preferred modality for ethics education of the APSA members. Pediatric surgeons have a general interest in clinical ethics as it relates to the care of their patients. An important mission of the Ethics and Advocacy Committee can be to provide education that gives guidance and knowledge to the members of APSA on timely topics in surgical ethics.

Ethics of human testing.

PubMed

Salter, D C

1990-08-01

What should one do, and why? Anyone asking such questions--and everyone does so hundreds of time each day--is concerned with ethics. Product development and testing raise many ethical questions. Particularly since the rise of 'green consumerism', these are of increasing concern to people outside the cosmetics industry, and so should be of interest to those inside it. The major problem seems to be that of reaching agreement on moral and ethical issues. Overcoming this problem involves investigating what is meant by 'ethics', and how decisions depend not on facts but on 'facts-as-perceived'. These in turn depend on many factors, with one's philosophy being the most fundamental. The range of philosophical options is reviewed and it is proposed that wider discussion is the only just way to achieve agreement. Yet some things are not negotiable. There are certain key moral concepts in terms of which discussion must take place for it to be relevant. In ethics of human testing, 'respect for others', that is, avoiding exploitation, is the principal one. Some synthesis of the key moral concepts like that of Immanuel Kant is therefore recommended as the soundest and most widely acceptable basis for the necessary discussion. Defining the responsible use of human subjects covers a range of issues, moral, historical, legal and professional. For example, there may be ethical difficulties in deliberate damage induction as in SPF and irritancy testing. But above all, to avoid exploitation, there is a moral and also a legal requirement that subjects are truly volunteers. This is the basis of the concept of 'informed consent', required but not generally explained in current professional codes of practice. It is unjustified to exploit those who may be under duress, such as 'in-house volunteers' and those with low incomes. Hence in conclusion, criteria for obtaining valid informed consent are briefly reviewed. By considering issues such as these, we can help ensure that cosmetic

Resisting the seduction of "ethics creep": using Foucault to surface complexity and contradiction in research ethics review.

PubMed

Guta, Adrian; Nixon, Stephanie A; Wilson, Michael G

2013-12-01

In this paper we examine "ethics creep", a concept developed by Haggerty (2004) to account for the increasing bureaucratization of research ethics boards and institutional review boards (REB/IRBs) and the expanding reach of ethics review. We start with an overview of the recent surge of academic interest in ethics creep and similar arguments about the prohibitive effect of ethics review. We then introduce elements of Michel Foucault's theoretical framework which are used to inform our analysis of empirical data drawn from a multi-phase study exploring the accessibility of community-engaged research within existing ethics review structures in Canada. First, we present how ethics creep emerged both explicitly and implicitly in our data. We then present data that demonstrate how REB/IRBs are experiencing their own form of regulation. Finally, we present data that situate ethics review alongside other trends affecting the academy. Our results show that ethics review is growing in some ways while simultaneously being constrained in others. Drawing on Foucauldian theory we reframe ethics creep as a repressive hypothesis which belies the complexity of the phenomenon it purports to explain. Our discussion complicates ethics creep by proposing an understanding of REB/IRBs that locates them at the intersection of various neoliberal discourses about the role of science, ethics, and knowledge production. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching GeoEthics Across the Geoscience Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.; Geissman, J. W.; Kieffer, S. W.; Reidy, M.; Taylor, S.; Vallero, D. A.; Bruckner, M. Z.

2014-12-01

Ethics education is an increasingly important component of the pre-professional training of geoscientists. Funding agencies (NSF) require training of graduate students in the responsible conduct of research, employers are increasingly expecting their workers to have basic training in ethics, and the public demands that scientists abide by the highest standards of ethical conduct. Yet, few faculty have the requisite training to effectively teach about ethics in their classes, or even informally in mentoring their research students. To address this need, an NSF-funded workshop was convened to explore how ethics education can be incorporated into the geoscience curriculum. Workshop goals included: examining where and how geoethics topics can be taught from introductory courses for non-majors to modules embedded in "core" geoscience majors courses or dedicated courses in geoethics; sharing best pedagogic practices for "what works" in ethics education; developing a geoethics curriculum framework; creating a collection of online instructional resources, case studies, and related materials; applying lessons learned about ethics education from sister disciplines (biology, engineering, philosophy); and considering ways that geoethics instruction can contribute to public scientific literacy. Four major themes were explored in detail: (1) GeoEthics and self: examining the internal attributes of a geoscientist that establish the ethical values required to successfully prepare for and contribute to a career in the geosciences; (2) GeoEthics and the geoscience profession: identifying ethical standards expected of geoscientists if they are to contribute responsibly to the community of practice; (3) GeoEthics and society: exploring geoscientists' responsibilities to effectively and responsibly communicate the results of geoscience research to inform society about issues ranging from geohazards to natural resource utilization in order to protect public health, safety, and economic

Improving the Curriculum with Ethics: Gaps between Perceived Ethical Challenges of Practitioners and Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolezel, Diane M.; Morrison, Eileen E.

2017-01-01

Health information management (HIM) professionals must address ethical challenges in their role as guardians of patients' personal information and organizations' proprietary information. Because of this need, HIM educators strive prepare their students to address these challenges. Unfortunately, little evidence exists about specific areas of…

Combining value of information analysis and ethical argumentation in decisions on participation of vulnerable patients in clinical research.

PubMed

van der Wilt, Gert J; Grutters, Janneke P C; Maas, Angela H E M; Rolden, Herbert J A

2018-02-05

The participation of vulnerable patients in clinical research poses apparent ethical dilemmas. Depending on the nature of the vulnerability, their participation may challenge the ethical principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, or justice. On the other hand, non-participation may preclude the building of a knowledge base that is a prerequisite for defining the optimal clinical management of vulnerable patients. Such clinical uncertainty may also incur substantial economic costs. We present the participation of pre-menopausal women with atrial fibrillation in trials of novel oral anticoagulant drugs as a case study. Due to their non-participation in pivotal trials, it is uncertain whether for them, the risks that are associated with these drugs are outweighed by the advantages compared with conventional treatment. We addressed the question whether research of this new class of drugs in this subgroup would be appropriate from both, an ethical as well an economic perspective. We used the method of specifying norms as a wider framework to resolve the apparent ethical dilemma, while incorporating the question whether research of oral anticoagulants in premenopausal women with atrial fibrillation can be justified on economic grounds. For the latter, the results of a value-of-information analysis were used. Further clinical research on NOACs in premenopausal women with atrial fibrillation can be justified on both, ethical and economic grounds. Addressing apparent ethical dilemmas by invoking a method such as specifying norms can improve the quality of public practical reasoning. As such, the method should also prove valuable to committees that have formally been granted the authority to review trial protocols and proposals for scientific research.

Trends in nursing ethics research: Mapping the literature production.

PubMed

Blažun Vošner, Helena; Železnik, Danica; Kokol, Peter; Vošner, Janez; Završnik, Jernej

2017-12-01

There have been a number of debates in the field of nursing ethics. Researchers have focused on various aspects of nursing ethics, such as professional ethics, professional, nursing and ethical values. Within this research, a variety of literature reviews have been conducted, but to the best of our knowledge, bibliometric mapping has not yet been used. This article aims to analyse the production of literature within nursing ethics research. In order to examine publishing patterns, we focused on publishing dynamics, prolific research entities and the most-cited articles. We additionally visualised the content of the literature using a novel mixed-method approach, combining bibliometric analysis and mapping with thematic analysis. Ethical considerations: In our study, ethical review was not required. A total of 1416 information sources were found in the Scopus database. Overall, literature production has increased; however, in recent years, the quantity of published material has begun to decrease. The most prolific countries are the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and the most prolific source titles are Nursing Ethics, Journal of Advanced Nursing and Nursing Times. Lately, research in the field of nursing ethics has been focused more on life care (providing for the basic needs of older residents), moral distress and community nursing. The dynamics of research literature production showed an exponential rise in the number of published information sources - a rise which started in the period between 1974 and 1998. Since that period, the trend has stabilised, which might indicate that nursing ethics research is starting a transition to a mature phase. The innovative use of bibliometric analysis and mapping, together with thematic analysis, is a useful tool for analysis of research production in the field of nursing ethics. The results presented can be an excellent starting point for literature reviews and more exhaustive data, information and knowledge

Gain-of-Function Research: Ethical Analysis.

PubMed

Selgelid, Michael J

2016-08-01

Gain-of-function (GOF) research involves experimentation that aims or is expected to (and/or, perhaps, actually does) increase the transmissibility and/or virulence of pathogens. Such research, when conducted by responsible scientists, usually aims to improve understanding of disease causing agents, their interaction with human hosts, and/or their potential to cause pandemics. The ultimate objective of such research is to better inform public health and preparedness efforts and/or development of medical countermeasures. Despite these important potential benefits, GOF research (GOFR) can pose risks regarding biosecurity and biosafety. In 2014 the administration of US President Barack Obama called for a "pause" on funding (and relevant research with existing US Government funding) of GOF experiments involving influenza, SARS, and MERS viruses in particular. With announcement of this pause, the US Government launched a "deliberative process" regarding risks and benefits of GOFR to inform future funding decisions-and the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) was tasked with making recommendations to the US Government on this matter. As part of this deliberative process the National Institutes of Health commissioned this Ethical Analysis White Paper, requesting that it provide (1) review and summary of ethical literature on GOFR, (2) identification and analysis of existing ethical and decision-making frameworks relevant to (i) the evaluation of risks and benefits of GOFR, (ii) decision-making about the conduct of GOF studies, and (iii) the development of US policy regarding GOFR (especially with respect to funding of GOFR), and (3) development of an ethical and decision-making framework that may be considered by NSABB when analyzing information provided by GOFR risk-benefit assessment, and when crafting its final recommendations (especially regarding policy decisions about funding of GOFR in particular). The ethical and decision-making framework

Ethical issues in using Twitter for public health surveillance and research: developing a taxonomy of ethical concepts from the research literature.

PubMed

Conway, Mike

2014-12-22

The rise of social media and microblogging platforms in recent years, in conjunction with the development of techniques for the processing and analysis of "big data", has provided significant opportunities for public health surveillance using user-generated content. However, relatively little attention has been focused on developing ethically appropriate approaches to working with these new data sources. Based on a review of the literature, this study seeks to develop a taxonomy of public health surveillance-related ethical concepts that emerge when using Twitter data, with a view to: (1) explicitly identifying a set of potential ethical issues and concerns that may arise when researchers work with Twitter data, and (2) providing a starting point for the formation of a set of best practices for public health surveillance through the development of an empirically derived taxonomy of ethical concepts. We searched Medline, Compendex, PsycINFO, and the Philosopher's Index using a set of keywords selected to identify Twitter-related research papers that reference ethical concepts. Our initial set of queries identified 342 references across the four bibliographic databases. We screened titles and abstracts of these references using our inclusion/exclusion criteria, eliminating duplicates and unavailable papers, until 49 references remained. We then read the full text of these 49 articles and discarded 36, resulting in a final inclusion set of 13 articles. Ethical concepts were then identified in each of these 13 articles. Finally, based on a close reading of the text, a taxonomy of ethical concepts was constructed based on ethical concepts discovered in the papers. From these 13 articles, we iteratively generated a taxonomy of ethical concepts consisting of 10 top level categories: privacy, informed consent, ethical theory, institutional review board (IRB)/regulation, traditional research vs Twitter research, geographical information, researcher lurking, economic value

Ethics and regulation in organ procurement research.

PubMed

Ackerman, Terrence F; Winsett, Rebecca P

2002-12-01

This article explores the role of ethics and regulation in human research conducted by organ procurement agencies; basic ethical principles for human research are outlined. Organ procurement agencies are not required to observe federal regulations; however, voluntary adherence will ensure that procurement research is conducted according to current standards of ethical practice. Although most organ procurement research will qualify for exempt status, this determination should be made by an institutional review board. Even if studies qualify for exempt status, there is a moral presumption that informed consent should be sought, unless certain narrow conditions for waiver of consent are satisfied. Finally, when future research utilizing organ procurement records is anticipated, procurement coordinators should provide sufficiently detailed information to families about such plans to permit their advance informed consent to research activities.

Ethics teaching in European veterinary schools: a qualitative case study.

PubMed

Magalhães-Sant'Ana, M

2014-12-13

Veterinary ethics is recognised as a relevant topic in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. However, there appears to be no widely agreed view on which contents are best suited for veterinary ethics teaching and there is limited information on the teaching approaches adopted by veterinary schools. This paper provides an inside perspective on the diversity of veterinary ethics teaching topics, based on an in-depth analysis of three European veterinary schools: Copenhagen, Lisbon and Nottingham. The case study approach integrated information from the analysis of syllabi contents and interviews with educators (curricular year 2010-2011). These results show that the curriculum of veterinary ethics is multidimensional and can combine a wide range of scientific, regulatory, professional and philosophical subjects, some of which may not be explicitly set out in the course descriptors. A conceptual model for veterinary ethics teaching is proposed comprising prominent topics included within four overarching concepts: animal welfare science, laws/regulations, professionalism, and theories/concepts. It is intended that this work should inform future curriculum development of veterinary ethics in European schools and assist ethical deliberation in veterinary practice. British Veterinary Association.

Eer ethics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orwant, C.J.

Intelligent agents are personified as epers, electronic personas. Epers can take on various roles as business representatives, financial agents, game players, teachers or civil servants. The ethical deployment of epers requires that they be accountable to their originators, who, in turn, are responsible to the cyberspace communities in which they are involved. Epers must maintain integrity of information, carry out tasks as directed and report accurately on task status. Epers can be custodians of the truth, responsible for certifying that data has not been altered. Public service epers could chair electronic meetings, collect and validate votes on local issues andmore » referee online {open_quotes}flame{close_quotes} wars. Epers` rights include those of privacy, autonomy and anonymity. They could decline to produce information aside from key identifiers and have the right to be protected from arbitrary deletion. Ethical issues include privacy protections, maintenance of appropriate access restrictions, and carrying out business in a secure and trustworthy manner.« less

Societal and ethical aspects of the Fukushima accident.

PubMed

Oughton, Deborah

2016-10-01

The Fukushima Nuclear Power Station accident in Japan in 2011 was a poignant reminder that radioactive contamination of the environment has consequences that encompass far more than health risks from exposure to radiation. Both the accident and remediation measures have resulted in serious societal impacts and raise questions about the ethical aspects of risk management. This article presents a brief review of some of these issues and compares similarities and differences with the lessons learned from the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident in Ukraine. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:651-653. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Ethical issues in ocular genetics.

PubMed

Mezer, Eedy; Wygnanski-Jaffe, Tamara

2009-09-01

To review some of the major issues in ophthalmic genetics ethics: predictive testing, prenatal testing and abortion, gene therapy, confidentiality, payment for genetic testing, the duty to recontact patients and convey new information. Patients and families may perceive benefits even though genetic testing may be associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes. Most patients were in favor of prenatal diagnosis but opposed abortion. Patient selection as candidates for gene therapy should be based on the different clinical characteristics of each hereditary disease. The balance between the right of the patient for confidentiality and the best interest of family members or society is an ethical challenge. Most insurance companies will pay for genetic testing if the condition is hereditary. The duty to recontact patients when new medical information becomes available is still ethically controversial. The field of ocular genetics is ever growing involving complex medical, technical, financial and social issues. As a result, ethical issues are expected to become more common. Properly prepared medical professionals as well as unique counseling for participants and families may enable improved decision-making taking into consideration the needs of each individual.

Business ethics in ethics committees?

PubMed

Boyle, P

1990-01-01

The "Ethics committees" column in this issue of the Hastings Center Report features an introduction by Cynthia B. Cohen and four brief commentaries on the roles hospital ethics committees may play in the making of institutional and public health care policy in the 1990s. The pros and cons of a broader, more public role for ethics committees in reconciling the business and patient care aspects of health care delivery are debated by Cohen in "Ethics committees as corporate and public policy advocates," and by Philip Boyle in this article. Boyle is an associate for ethical studies at The Hastings Center.

The new military medical ethics: legacies of the Gulf Wars and the War on Terror.

PubMed

Miles, Steven H

2013-03-01

United States military medical ethics evolved during its involvement in two recent wars, Gulf War I (1990-1991) and the War on Terror (2001-). Norms of conduct for military clinicians with regard to the treatment of prisoners of war and the administration of non-therapeutic bioactive agents to soldiers were set aside because of the sense of being in a 'new kind of war'. Concurrently, the use of radioactive metal in weaponry and the ability to measure the health consequences of trade embargos on vulnerable civilians occasioned new concerns about the health effects of war on soldiers, their offspring, and civilians living on battlefields. Civilian medical societies and medical ethicists fitfully engaged the evolving nature of the medical ethics issues and policy changes during these wars. Medical codes of professionalism have not been substantively updated and procedures for accountability for new kinds of abuses of medical ethics are not established. Looking to the future, medicine and medical ethics have not articulated a vision for an ongoing military-civilian dialogue to ensure that standards of medical ethics do not evolve simply in accord with military exigency. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Scientific ethics and the use of human material or data].

PubMed

Valenzuela, Carlos Y

2012-03-01

A scientific article censured by superposing obstacles to its reading remembers the censure of Galileo made by the Inquisition. The censure followed the failure to obtain the informed consent (IC) to disclose results of old samples. At present, the use of collected data or samples for a new research needs a new IC, in most ethical protocols. The Helsinki Code allows the research ethics committees the authorization for the use of that information. This norm is founded rather in commercial, legal or protective arguments than in ethical bases. This article criticizes this norm from the Scientific Ethics viewpoint because: i) the ownership of the genome and environment that originate a person is not of such person but of the human society and Homo sapiens species, ii) a person is not the unique owner of that information; laboratories, institutions, health services and research teams add constituents to it, iii) several violations to this norm occurring in medical, labor, legal and social practice show it as biased against science, iv) if this stored information and its use are beneficial for humankind (its proper owner) it is ethically obligatory to use it. It is proposed to create an anonymous World Bank for Human Information with open access and universal transparency. This universal collection of data handled under universal accepted ethical norms should prevent exclusive private use of public information, non-publication of negative results, illicit and unethical use of human data.

Women's perspectives on the ethical implications of non-invasive prenatal testing: a qualitative analysis to inform health policy decisions.

PubMed

Vanstone, Meredith; Cernat, Alexandra; Nisker, Jeff; Schwartz, Lisa

2018-04-16

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is a technology which provides information about fetal genetic characteristics (including sex) very early in pregnancy by examining fetal DNA obtained from a sample of maternal blood. NIPT is a morally complex technology that has advanced quickly to market with a strong push from industry developers, leaving many areas of uncertainty still to be resolved, and creating a strong need for health policy that reflects women's social and ethical values. We approach the need for ethical policy-making by studying the use of NIPT and emerging policy in the province of Ontario, Canada. Using an adapted version of constructivist grounded theory, we conducted interviews with 38 women who have had personal experiences with NIPT. We used an iterative process of data collection and analysis and a staged coding strategy to conduct a descriptive analysis of ethics issues identified implicitly and explicitly by women who have been affected by this technology. The findings of this paper focus on current ethical issues for women seeking NIPT, including place in the prenatal pathway, health care provider counselling about the test, industry influence on the diffusion of NIPT, consequences of availability of test results. Other issues gain relevance in the context of future policy decisions regarding NIPT, including funding of NIPT and principles that may govern the expansion of the scope of NIPT. These findings are not an exhaustive list of all the potential ethical issues related to NIPT, but rather a representation of the issues which concern women who have personal experience with this test. Women who have had personal experience with NIPT have concerns and priorities which sometimes contrast dramatically with the theoretical ethics literature. These findings suggest the importance of engaging patients in ethical deliberation about morally complex technologies, and point to the need for more deliberative patient engagement work in this area.

Perceptions and attitudes of community pharmacists toward professional ethics and ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

PubMed

Vuković Rodríguez, Jadranka; Juričić, Živka

2018-05-01

Formal training in pharmacy ethics is relatively new in Croatia, and the professional code of ethics is more than 20 years old. Very little is known about how practicing pharmacists implement ethical considerations and relevant professional guidelines in their work. This study aimed to provide the first description of the perceptions and attitudes of Croatian community pharmacists toward ethics in pharmacy practice, how often they face certain ethical dilemmas and how they resolve them. A cross-sectional survey of 252 community pharmacists, including community pharmacists and pre-licensing trainees, was conducted in Zagreb, Croatia. This group accounts for 18% of licensed pharmacists in Croatia. The survey questions included four sections: general sociodemographic information, multiple-choice questions, pre-defined ethical scenarios, and ethical scenarios filled in by respondents. More than half of pharmacists (62.7%) face ethical dilemmas in everyday work. Nearly all (94.4%) are familiar with the current professional code of ethics in Croatia, but only 47.6% think that the code reflects the changes that the pharmacy profession faces today. Most pharmacists (83.3%) solve ethical dilemmas on their own, while nearly the same proportion (75.4%) think that they are not adequately trained to deal with ethical dilemmas. The pre-defined ethical scenarios experienced by the largest proportion of pharmacists are being asked to dispense a drug to someone other than the patient (93.3%), an unnecessary over-the-counter medicine (84.3%), a generic medicine clinically equivalent to the prescribed one (79.4%), or hormonal contraception over the counter (70.4%). The results demonstrate a need to improve formal pharmacy ethics education and training in how to assess ethical issues and make appropriate decisions, which implies the need for stronger collaboration between pharmacists and their professional association. Our results also highlight an urgent need to revise and update the

Assessing Ethics Knowledge: Development of a Test of Ethics Knowledge in Neonatology.

PubMed

Cummings, Christy L; Geis, Gina M; Feldman, Henry A; Berson, Elisa R; Kesselheim, Jennifer C

2018-05-10

To develop and validate the Test of Ethics Knowledge in Neonatology (TEK-Neo) with good internal consistency reliability, item performance, and construct validity that reliably assesses interprofessional staff and trainee knowledge of neonatal ethics. We adapted a published test of ethics knowledge for use in neonatology. The novel instrument had 46 true/false questions distributed among 7 domains of neonatal ethics: ethical principles, professionalism, genetic testing, beginning of life/viability, end of life, informed permission/decision making, and research ethics. Content and correct answers were derived from published statements and guidelines. We administered the voluntary, anonymous test via e-mailed link to 103 participants, including medical students, neonatology fellows, neonatologists, neonatology nurses, and pediatric ethicists. After item reduction, we examined psychometric properties of the resulting 36-item test and assessed overall sample performance. The overall response rate was 27% (103 of 380). The test demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach α = 0.66), with a mean score of 28.5 ± 3.4 out of the maximum 36. Participants with formal ethics training performed better than those without (30.3 ± 2.9 vs 28.1 ± 3.5; P = .01). Performance improved significantly with higher levels of medical/ethical training among the 5 groups: medical students, 25.9 ± 3.7; neonatal nurses/practitioners, 27.7 ± 2.7; neonatologists, 28.8 ± 3.7; neonatology fellows, 29.8 ± 2.9; and clinical ethicists, 33.0 ± 1.9 (P < .0001). The TEK-Neo reliably assesses knowledge of neonatal ethics among interprofessional staff and trainees in neonatology. This novel tool discriminates between learners with different levels of expertise and can be used interprofessionally to assess individual and group performance, track milestone progression, and address curricular gaps in neonatal ethics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All

Economic values, ethics, and ecosystem health

Treesearch

Thomas P. Holmes; Randall A. Kramer

1995-01-01

Economic valuations of changes in ecosystem health can provide quantitative information for social decisions. However, willingness to pay for ecosystem health may be motivated by an environmental ethic regarding the right thing to do. Counterpreferential choices based on an environmental ethic are inconsistent with the normative basis of welfare economics. In this...

Ethical competency of nurse leaders: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Barkhordari-Sharifabad, Maasoumeh; Ashktorab, Tahereh; Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, Foroozan

2018-02-01

Ethics play an important role in activating the manpower and achieving the organizational goals. The nurse leaders' ethical behavior can promote the care quality by affecting the nurses' performance and bringing up several positive consequences for the organization. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the ethical competency of nurse leaders in cultural domains and the working conditions of the Iranian healthcare setting to arrive at a more comprehensive and specific perspective. This was a qualitative conventional content analysis study conducted with the participation of 14 nurse leaders at various levels. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling method, and the required data were collected using deep interview and also semi-structured interview. A deductive method of content analysis was applied in data analysis. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted in accord with the principles of research ethics and national rules and regulations relating to informed consent and confidentiality. Data analysis resulted in 17 subcategories that were subsequently grouped into three major categories including empathetic interactions, ethical behavior, and exalted manners. Our findings are consistent with previous ones, yet presenting a more complete knowledge about aspects of ethical competency of nurse leaders. The nurse leaders can provide a proper behavioral model for the work environment through the use of new information. The nurse leaders introduced various aspects of ethical competency, so the leaders' ethical competency could be promoted via planning and managing some ethical development programs. More future research is needed regarding the experiences of the subordinates and other related parties.

Public titles of clinical trials should have ethics review.

PubMed

Saenz, Carla; Reveiz, Ludovic; Tisdale, John F

2015-09-01

A key aspect to guarantee that research with human subjects is ethical is being overlooked. Ethics review committees invest great effort examining the informed consent documents of research protocols to ensure that potential participants can provide consent validly and are not deluded into thinking that the experimental intervention they may sign up for is already known to be therapeutic. However, these efforts to avoid what is called the "therapeutic misconception" might be in vain if the title with which the studies are being introduced to the potential participants escapes ethics review. Research participants might be deceived by clinical trials entitled "novel therapy" when the point of the trial is precisely to find out whether the intervention at stake is therapeutic or not. Providing potential research participants with such misleading information hampers their ability to make informed decisions. The well-established scrutiny that ethics review committees exercise with regard to consent forms is limited if the registration of clinical trials, for which a public title is chosen, constitutes a process that is independent from the ethics review. In this article, we examine this problem, assess recent measures to integrate clinical trial registration with ethics review processes, and provide specific recommendations to solve the problem and ultimately enhance the accountability, transparency, and ethics of research with human subjects. Copyright © 2015 Pan American Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical issues confronted by medical students during clinical rotations.

PubMed

Fard, Nazila Nikravan; Asghari, Fariba; Mirzazadeh, Azim

2010-07-01

This study aimed to examine the most common and important ethical issues confronting medical students during clinical rotations so that ethics-related topics can be prioritised according to students' needs and this information used to develop a curriculum for the ethics course. In a cross-sectional approach, we reviewed the medical ethics-related cases recorded in the logbooks of all medical students (n=241) at Tehran University of Medical Sciences who attended the medical ethics course during October 2006 to July 2007. As part of a graded assignment, each student was required to record three encounters with ethics-related issues in his or her logbook. A total of 713 cases were assessed. Information related to the ethical issues and the conditions in which ethical issues arose was extracted and recorded by two experts, whose analysis showed agreement of kappa 0.77. In cases of discrepancy, both experts reviewed and discussed the record until they achieved agreement. A total of 713 cases were analysed. The most common issues reported by students related to ethics in medical education (20.1%, n=143), professionalism (18.8%, n=134), confidentiality (7.6%, n=54), the doctor-patient relationship (7.3%, n=52), informed consent (7.0%, n=50) and the doctor-peer relationship (7.0%, n=50). After adjusting for length of rotation, the highest numbers of ethics-related incidents were reported from urology, general surgery, orthopaedics, internal medicine, neurology, and obstetrics and gynaecology wards. The results of this study indicate that professionalism and related elements represent one of the most important areas of concern that need to be addressed when planning courses for medical students. The other significant area of concern is that of ethics in medical education, which, although the subject is not considered essential for medical practitioners, should be taught and respected so that student sensitivity to medical ethics is maintained and even increased.

For your interest? The ethical acceptability of using non-invasive prenatal testing to test 'purely for information'.

PubMed

Deans, Zuzana; Clarke, Angus J; Newson, Ainsley J

2015-01-01

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is an emerging form of prenatal genetic testing that provides information about the genetic constitution of a foetus without the risk of pregnancy loss as a direct result of the test procedure. As with other prenatal tests, information from NIPT can help to make a decision about termination of pregnancy, plan contingencies for birth or prepare parents to raise a child with a genetic condition. NIPT can also be used by women and couples to test purely 'for information'. Here, no particular action is envisaged following the test; it is motivated entirely by an interest in the result. The fact that NIPT can be performed without posing a risk to the pregnancy could give rise to an increase in such requests. In this paper, we examine the ethical aspects of using NIPT 'purely for information', including the competing interests of the prospective parents and the future child, and the acceptability of testing for 'frivolous' reasons. Drawing on several clinical scenarios, we claim that arguments about testing children for genetic conditions are relevant to this debate. In addition, we raise ethical concerns over the potential for objectification of the child. We conclude that, in most cases, using NIPT to test for adult-onset conditions, carrier status or non-serious traits presenting in childhood would be unacceptable. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Who regulates ethics in the virtual world?

PubMed

Sharma, Seemu; Lomash, Hitashi; Bawa, Seema

2015-02-01

This paper attempts to give an insight into emerging ethical issues due to the increased usage of the Internet in our lives. We discuss three main theoretical approaches relating to the ethics involved in the information technology (IT) era: first, the use of IT as a tool; second, the use of social constructivist methods; and third, the approach of phenomenologists. Certain aspects of ethics and IT have been discussed based on a phenomenological approach and moral development. Further, ethical issues related to social networking sites are discussed. A plausible way to make the virtual world ethically responsive is collective responsibility which proposes that society has the power to influence but not control behavior in the virtual world.

Qualitative analysis of healthcare professionals' viewpoints on the role of ethics committees and hospitals in the resolution of clinical ethical dilemmas.

PubMed

Marcus, Brian S; Shank, Gary; Carlson, Jestin N; Venkat, Arvind

2015-03-01

Ethics consultation is a commonly applied mechanism to address clinical ethical dilemmas. However, there is little information on the viewpoints of health care providers towards the relevance of ethics committees and appropriate application of ethics consultation in clinical practice. We sought to use qualitative methodology to evaluate free-text responses to a case-based survey to identify thematically the views of health care professionals towards the role of ethics committees in resolving clinical ethical dilemmas. Using an iterative and reflexive model we identified themes that health care providers support a role for ethics committees and hospitals in resolving clinical ethical dilemmas, that the role should be one of mediation, rather than prescription, but that ultimately legal exposure was dispositive compared to ethical theory. The identified theme of legal fears suggests that the mediation role of ethics committees is viewed by health care professionals primarily as a practical means to avoid more worrisome medico-legal conflict.

"I Now Have a Visual Image in My Mind and It Is Something I Will Never Forget": An Analysis of an Arts-Informed Approach to Health Professions Ethics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinsella, Elizabeth Anne; Bidinosti, Susan

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a study of an arts informed approach to ethics education in a health professions education context. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' reported learning experiences as a result of engagement with an arts-informed project in a health professions' ethics course. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodological…

Improving Ethical Attitudes or Simply Teaching Ethical Codes? The Reality of Accounting Ethics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Robyn Ann; O'Leary, Conor

2015-01-01

Ethical instruction is critical in accounting education. However, does accounting ethics teaching actually instil core ethical values or simply catalogue how students should act when confronted with typical accounting ethical dilemmas? This study extends current literature by distinguishing between moral/ethical and legal/ethical matters and then…

Ethical issues in the use of genetic information in the workplace: a review of recent developments.

PubMed

Geppert, Cynthia M A; Roberts, Laura Weiss

2005-09-01

In the wake of the Human Genome Project, the pace of genetic discovery has quickened. New genetic tests and other molecular technology have had immediate and wide relevance to American and European workers. These tests have the potential to provide improved workplace safety and protect workers' health, but they also carry the risk of genetic discrimination including loss of employment, promotion, insurance and health care. Ethical safeguards are necessary if the benefits are to outweigh the adverse consequences of genetics in the workplace. This review examines the major policy statements issued in Europe and the USA from 2000 to 2005 pertaining to genetic issues in occupational health. Recent findings stress that genetic testing can only be utilized with worker consent and that the workers should control access to genetic information. Such testing is only justified when the information is required to protect the safety of the worker or a third party. The progress of occupational genetic technology should not be permitted to shift the responsibility for a safe working environment from the employer to the employee. Genetic discrimination in all forms is neither supported scientifically nor warranted ethically. Increasingly, occupational physicians and clinicians treating workers will be faced with potentially stigmatizing genetic information and there is an urgent need for education and research to expand and implement the recommendations of major governmental and professional policy statements.

The 2014 Varsity Medical Ethics Debate: should we allow genetic information to be patented?

PubMed

Metcalfe, Kiloran H M; Worsley, Calum A; Swerner, Casey B; Sinha, Devan; Solanki, Ravi; Ravi, Krithi; Dattani, Raj S

2015-05-20

The 2014 Varsity Medical Ethics debate convened upon the motion: "This house believes that genetic information should not be commoditised". This annual debate between students from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, now in its sixth year, provided the starting point for arguments on the subject. The present article brings together and extends many of the arguments put forward during the debate. We explore the circumstances under which genetic material should be considered patentable, the possible effects of this on the research and development of novel therapeutics, and the need for clear guidelines within this rapidly developing field.The Varsity Medical Debate was first held in 2008 with the aim of allowing students to engage in discussion about ethics and policy within healthcare. Two Oxford medical students, Mahiben Maruthappu and Sanjay Budheo founded the event. The event is held annually and it is hoped that this will allow future leaders to voice a perspective on the arguments behind topics that will feature heavily in future healthcare and science policy. This year the Oxford University Medical Society at the Oxford Union hosted the debate.

Continuous Evaluation in Ethics Education: A Case Study.

PubMed

McIntosh, Tristan; Higgs, Cory; Mumford, Michael; Connelly, Shane; DuBois, James

2018-04-01

A great need for systematic evaluation of ethics training programs exists. Those tasked with developing an ethics training program may be quick to dismiss the value of training evaluation in continuous process improvement. In the present effort, we use a case study approach to delineate how to leverage formative and summative evaluation measures to create a high-quality ethics education program. With regard to formative evaluation, information bearing on trainee reactions, qualitative data from the comments of trainees, in addition to empirical findings, can ensure that the training program operates smoothly. Regarding summative evaluation, measures examining trainee cognition, behavior, and organization-level results provide information about how much trainees have changed as a result of taking the ethics training. The implications of effective training program evaluation are discussed.

An Ethically Ambitious Higher Education Data Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Mitchell L.

2014-01-01

The new data sciences of education bring substantial legal, political, and ethical questions about the management of information about learners. This piece provides a synoptic view of recent scholarly discussion in this domain and calls for a proactive approach to the ethics of learning research.

Debating Diversity: Ethics and Controversial Public Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darr, Christopher R.

2016-01-01

Courses: Ethics, Organizational Communication, Political Communication. Objectives: After completing this unit activity, students should be able to (1) apply multiple ethical perspectives to real-world diversity issues in a debate format, and (2) explain the role of informational and social category diversity in current controversies.

ENHANCING RESEARCH ETHICS REVIEW SYSTEMS IN EGYPT: THE FOCUS OF AN INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM INFORMED BY AN ECOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO ENHANCING RESEARCH ETHICS CAPACITY

PubMed Central

Edwards, Hillary Anne; Hifnawy, Tamer; Silverman, Henry

2014-01-01

Recently, training programs in research ethics have been established to enhance individual and institutional capacity in research ethics in the developing world. However, commentators have expressed concern that the efforts of these training programs have placed “too great an emphasis on guidelines and research ethics review”, which will have limited effect on ensuring ethical conduct in research. What is needed instead is a culture of ethical conduct supported by national and institutional commitment to ethical practices that are reinforced by upstream enabling conditions (strong civil society, public accountability, and trust in basic transactional processes), which are in turn influenced by developmental conditions (basic freedoms of political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security). Examining this more inclusive understanding of the determinants of ethical conduct enhances at once both an appreciation of the limitations of current efforts of training programs in research ethics and an understanding of what additional training elements are needed to enable trainees to facilitate national and institutional policy changes that enhance research practices. We apply this developmental model to a training program focused in Egypt to describe examples of such additional training activities. PMID:24894063

Enhancing Research Ethics Review Systems in Egypt: The Focus of an International Training Program Informed by an Ecological Developmental Approach to Enhancing Research Ethics Capacity.

PubMed

Edwards, Hillary Anne; Hifnawy, Tamer; Silverman, Henry

2015-12-01

Recently, training programs in research ethics have been established to enhance individual and institutional capacity in research ethics in the developing world. However, commentators have expressed concern that the efforts of these training programs have placed 'too great an emphasis on guidelines and research ethics review', which will have limited effect on ensuring ethical conduct in research. What is needed instead is a culture of ethical conduct supported by national and institutional commitment to ethical practices that are reinforced by upstream enabling conditions (strong civil society, public accountability, and trust in basic transactional processes), which are in turn influenced by developmental conditions (basic freedoms of political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security). Examining this more inclusive understanding of the determinants of ethical conduct enhances at once both an appreciation of the limitations of current efforts of training programs in research ethics and an understanding of what additional training elements are needed to enable trainees to facilitate national and institutional policy changes that enhance research practices. We apply this developmental model to a training program focused in Egypt to describe examples of such additional training activities. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patient decision-making: medical ethics and mediation.

PubMed Central

Craig, Y J

1996-01-01

A review of medical ethics literature relating to the importance of the participation of patients in decision-making introduces the role of rights-based mediation as a voluntary process now being developed innovatively in America. This is discussed in relation to the theory of communicative ethics and moral personhood. References are then made to the work of medical ethics committees and the role of mediation within these. Finally it is suggested that mediation is part of an eirenic ethic already being used informally in good patient care, and that there is a case for developing it further. PMID:8798939

The Effects of Unstructured Group Discussion on Ethical Judgment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Clinton H.; Alder, G. Stoney

2014-01-01

The authors examine the effects of shared information and group discussion on ethical judgment when no structure is imposed on the discussion to encourage ethical considerations. Discussants were asked to identify arguments for and against a variety of business behaviors with ethical implications. A group moderator solicited and recorded arguments…

Rapid Ethical Assessment on Informed Consent Content and Procedure in Hintalo-Wajirat, Northern Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Abay, Serebe; Addissie, Adamu; Davey, Gail; Farsides, Bobbie; Addissie, Thomas

2016-01-01

Informed consent is a key component of bio-medical research involving human participants. However, obtaining informed consent is challenging in low literacy and resource limited settings. Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) can be used to contextualize and simplify consent information within a given study community. The current study aimed to explore the effects of social, cultural, and religious factors during informed consent process on a proposed HPV-serotype prevalence study. A qualitative community-based REA was conducted in Adigudom and Mynebri Kebeles, Northern Ethiopia, from July to August 2013. Data were collected by a multi-disciplinary team using open ended questions concerning informed consent components in relation to the parent study. The team conducted one-to-one In-Depth Interviews (IDI) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with key informants and community members to collect data based on the themes of the study. Tape recorded data were transcribed in Tigrigna and then translated into English. Data were categorized and thematically analyzed using open coding and content analysis based on pre-defined themes. The REA study revealed a number of socio-cultural issues relevant to the proposed study. Low community awareness about health research, participant rights and cervical cancer were documented. Giving a vaginal sample for testing was considered to be highly embarrassing, whereas giving a blood sample made participants worry that they might be given a result without the possibility of treatment. Verbal consent was preferred to written consent for the proposed study. This rapid ethical assessment disclosed important socio-cultural issues which might act as barriers to informed decision making. The findings were important for contextual modification of the Information Sheet, and to guide the best consent process for the proposed study. Both are likely to have enabled participants to understand the informed consent better and consequently to comply with the

Ethical aspects on rare diseases.

PubMed

Barrera, Luis A; Galindo, Gilberto Cely

2010-01-01

In this chapter we discuss several of the most relevant subjects related to ethics on Rare Diseases. Some general aspects are discussed such as the socio-psychological problems that confront the patients and their families that finally lead to marginalization and exclusion of patients affected by these diseases from the health programs, even in wealthy countries. Then we address problems related to diagnosis and some ethical aspects of newborn screening, prenatal, pre-implantation diagnosis and reference centers, as well as some conditions that should be met by the persons and institutions performing such tasks. Alternatives of solutions for the most critical situations are proposed. Subsequently the orphan drugs subject is discussed not only from the availability point of view, prizes, industrial practices, and purchasing power in developed and developing societies. The research related to rare disease in children and other especially vulnerable conditions, the need for informed consent, review boards or ethics comities, confidentiality of the information, biobanks and pharmacogenetics are discussed.

Ethical Issues in Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Kavarana, Minoo N.; Sade, Robert M.

2012-01-01

While ethical behavior has always been part of cardiac surgical practice, ethical deliberation has only recently become an important component of cardiac surgical practice. Issues such as informed consent, conflict of interest, and professional self-regulation, among many others, have increasingly attracted the attention of cardiac surgeons. This review covers several broad topics of interest to cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, and treats several other topics more briefly. There is much uncertainty about what the future holds for cardiac surgical practice, research, and culture, and we discuss the background of ethical issues to serve as a platform for envisioning what is to come. PMID:22642634

Mechanisms Linking Ethical Leadership to Ethical Sales Behavior.

PubMed

Wu, Yu-Chi

2017-06-01

This study investigated the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical sales behavior. A total of 248 matched surveys with participant responses from insurance agents and their customers were collected. The insurance agents were asked to rate the ethical leadership of their leaders, the ethical climate in their organization, and their individual moral identity. Customers were asked to rate the perceived ethical sales behavior of the insurance agents. This empirical study utilized moderated mediation techniques to analyze the data. Results indicated that ethical climate mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical sales behavior when moral identity was high, however, did not when moral identity was low. The research framework including contextual effects (i.e., ethical climate) and individual differences in moral judgment (i.e., moral identity) can provide a comprehensive picture of how ethical leadership influences ethical sales behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are also discussed.

Introductory Course in Biomedical Ethics in the Obstetrics-Gynecology Residency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elkins, Thomas E.

1988-01-01

Information used in a brief lecture that introduces a biomedical ethics curriculum in an obstetrics and gynecology residency is described. Major components include theories of philosophic ethics (formalist and consequentialist) and principles of biomedical ethics (honesty, contract-keeping, nonmaleficence, justice, autonomy, beneficence,…

Ethical Issues in Using Twitter for Public Health Surveillance and Research: Developing a Taxonomy of Ethical Concepts From the Research Literature

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The rise of social media and microblogging platforms in recent years, in conjunction with the development of techniques for the processing and analysis of “big data”, has provided significant opportunities for public health surveillance using user-generated content. However, relatively little attention has been focused on developing ethically appropriate approaches to working with these new data sources. Objective Based on a review of the literature, this study seeks to develop a taxonomy of public health surveillance-related ethical concepts that emerge when using Twitter data, with a view to: (1) explicitly identifying a set of potential ethical issues and concerns that may arise when researchers work with Twitter data, and (2) providing a starting point for the formation of a set of best practices for public health surveillance through the development of an empirically derived taxonomy of ethical concepts. Methods We searched Medline, Compendex, PsycINFO, and the Philosopher’s Index using a set of keywords selected to identify Twitter-related research papers that reference ethical concepts. Our initial set of queries identified 342 references across the four bibliographic databases. We screened titles and abstracts of these references using our inclusion/exclusion criteria, eliminating duplicates and unavailable papers, until 49 references remained. We then read the full text of these 49 articles and discarded 36, resulting in a final inclusion set of 13 articles. Ethical concepts were then identified in each of these 13 articles. Finally, based on a close reading of the text, a taxonomy of ethical concepts was constructed based on ethical concepts discovered in the papers. Results From these 13 articles, we iteratively generated a taxonomy of ethical concepts consisting of 10 top level categories: privacy, informed consent, ethical theory, institutional review board (IRB)/regulation, traditional research vs Twitter research, geographical

Diagnosing dementia: Ethnography, interactional ethics and everyday moral reasoning.

PubMed

Hillman, Alexandra

2017-02-01

This article highlights the contribution of ethnography and qualitative sociology to the ethical challenges that frame the diagnosis of dementia. To illustrate this contribution, the paper draws on an ethnographic study of UK memory clinics carried out between 2012 and 2014. The ethnographic data, set alongside other studies and sociological theory, contest the promotion of a traditional view of autonomy; the limiting of the point of ethical interest to a distinct moment of diagnosis disclosure; and the failure to recognise risk and uncertainty in the building of clinical 'facts' and their communication. In addressing these specific concerns, this article contributes to the wider debate over the relationship between sociology and bioethics (medical ethics). At the heart of these debates lies more fundamental questions: how can we best understand and shape moral decision-making and ethics that guide behaviour in medical practice, and what should be the guiding ideas, concepts and methods to inform ethics in the clinic? Using the case of dementia diagnosis, this article illustrates the benefits of an ethnographic approach, not just for understanding this ethical problem but also for exploring if and how a more empirically informed ethics can help shape healthcare practices for the better.

Ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health care.

PubMed

Badzek, Laurie; Henaghan, Mark; Turner, Martha; Monsen, Rita

2013-03-01

The rapid continuous feed of new information from scientific discoveries related to the human genome makes translation and incorporation of information into the clinical setting difficult and creates ethical, legal, and social challenges for providers. This article overviews some of the legal and ethical foundations that guide our response to current complex issues in health care associated with the impact of scientific discoveries related to the human genome. Overlapping ethical, legal, and social implications impact nurses and other healthcare professionals as they seek to identify and translate into practice important information related to new genomic scientific knowledge. Ethical and legal foundations such as professional codes, human dignity, and human rights provide the framework for understanding highly complex genomic issues. Ethical, legal, and social concerns of the health provider in the translation of genomic knowledge into practice including minimizing harms, maximizing benefits, transparency, confidentiality, and informed consent are described. Additionally, nursing professional competencies related to ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health care are discussed. Ethical, legal, and social considerations in new genomic discovery necessitate that healthcare professionals have knowledge and competence to respond to complex genomic issues and provide appropriate information and care to patients, families, and communities. Understanding the ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomic information into practice is essential to provide patients, families, and communities with competent, safe, effective health care. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

In search of an ethic of medical librarianship.

PubMed Central

Crawford, H

1978-01-01

Why is the literature on the ethics of librarianship so sparse? Some of the codes of ethics proposed or officially adopted during this century are examined, with an informal commentary on the reasons why they seem to have aroused so little sustained interest and discussion. Attention is directed particularly to library--user relationships and to some of the unique ethical situations in medical libraries. PMID:678701

eHealth, Participatory Medicine, and Ethical Care: A Focus Group Study of Patients’ and Health Care Providers’ Use of Health-Related Internet Information

PubMed Central

Leese, Jenny; Adam, Paul; McDonald, Michael; Li, Linda C; Kerr, Sheila; Backman, Catherine L

2015-01-01

Background The rapid explosion in online digital health resources is seen as transformational, accelerating the shift from traditionally passive patients to patients as partners and altering the patient–health care professional (HCP) relationship. Patients with chronic conditions are increasingly engaged, enabled, and empowered to be partners in their care and encouraged to take responsibility for managing their conditions with HCP support. Objective In this paper, we focus on patients’ and HCPs’ use of health-related Internet information and how it influences the patient-HCP relationship. In particular, we examine the challenges emerging in medical encounters as roles and relationships shift and apply a conceptual framework of relational ethics to examine explicit and nuanced ethical dimensions emerging in patient-HCP interactions as both parties make increased use of health-related Internet information. Methods We purposively sampled patients and HCPs in British Columbia, Canada, to participate in focus groups. To be eligible, patients self-reported a diagnosis of arthritis and at least one other chronic health condition; HCPs reported a caseload with >25% of patients with arthritis and multimorbidity. We used a semistructured, but flexible, discussion guide. All discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Elements of grounded theory guided our constant comparison thematic analytic approach. Analysis was iterative. A relational ethics conceptual lens was applied to the data. Results We recruited 32 participants (18 patients, 14 HCPs). They attended seven focus groups: four with patients and three with rehabilitation professionals and physicians. Predominant themes to emerge were how use of health-related Internet information fostered (1) changing roles, (2) patient-HCP partnerships, and (3) tensions and burdens for patients and HCPs. Conclusions Relational aspects such as mutual trust, uncertainty, and vulnerability are illuminated in patient

eHealth, Participatory Medicine, and Ethical Care: A Focus Group Study of Patients' and Health Care Providers' Use of Health-Related Internet Information.

PubMed

Townsend, Anne; Leese, Jenny; Adam, Paul; McDonald, Michael; Li, Linda C; Kerr, Sheila; Backman, Catherine L

2015-06-22

The rapid explosion in online digital health resources is seen as transformational, accelerating the shift from traditionally passive patients to patients as partners and altering the patient-health care professional (HCP) relationship. Patients with chronic conditions are increasingly engaged, enabled, and empowered to be partners in their care and encouraged to take responsibility for managing their conditions with HCP support. In this paper, we focus on patients' and HCPs' use of health-related Internet information and how it influences the patient-HCP relationship. In particular, we examine the challenges emerging in medical encounters as roles and relationships shift and apply a conceptual framework of relational ethics to examine explicit and nuanced ethical dimensions emerging in patient-HCP interactions as both parties make increased use of health-related Internet information. We purposively sampled patients and HCPs in British Columbia, Canada, to participate in focus groups. To be eligible, patients self-reported a diagnosis of arthritis and at least one other chronic health condition; HCPs reported a caseload with >25% of patients with arthritis and multimorbidity. We used a semistructured, but flexible, discussion guide. All discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Elements of grounded theory guided our constant comparison thematic analytic approach. Analysis was iterative. A relational ethics conceptual lens was applied to the data. We recruited 32 participants (18 patients, 14 HCPs). They attended seven focus groups: four with patients and three with rehabilitation professionals and physicians. Predominant themes to emerge were how use of health-related Internet information fostered (1) changing roles, (2) patient-HCP partnerships, and (3) tensions and burdens for patients and HCPs. Relational aspects such as mutual trust, uncertainty, and vulnerability are illuminated in patient-HCP interactions around health-related Internet information

Qualitative research ethics on the spot: Not only on the desktop.

PubMed

Øye, Christine; Sørensen, Nelli Øvre; Glasdam, Stinne

2016-06-01

The increase in medical ethical regulations and bureaucracy handled by institutional review boards and healthcare institutions puts the researchers using qualitative methods in a challenging position. Based on three different cases from three different research studies, the article explores and discusses research ethical dilemmas. First, and especially, the article addresses the challenges for gatekeepers who influence the informant's decisions to participate in research. Second, the article addresses the challenges in following research ethical guidelines related to informed consent and doing no harm. Third, the article argues for the importance of having research ethical guidelines and review boards to question and discuss the possible ethical dilemmas that occur in qualitative research. Research ethics must be understood in qualitative research as relational, situational, and emerging. That is, that focus on ethical issues and dilemmas has to be paid attention on the spot and not only at the desktop. © The Author(s) 2015.

Ethical problems in nursing management: The views of nurse managers.

PubMed

Aitamaa, Elina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Iltanen, Silja; Suhonen, Riitta

2016-09-01

Nurse managers have responsibilities relating to the quality of care, the welfare of the staff and running of the organization. Ethics plays significant role in these responsibilities. Ethical problems are part of daily management, but research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to identify and describe ethical problems nurse managers encounter in their work to get more detailed and extensive view of these problems. The data consisted of nine interviews with nurse managers at different management levels in primary healthcare and specialized healthcare organizations, and it was analysed by inductive content analysis. Permission to conduct the interviews including ethical approval was given at all participating organizations according to national standards. The respondents were informed about the aim of the study, and voluntary participation, anonymous response and confidentiality were explained to them. Four main categories were found: conflicts in practical situations, lack of appreciation, disregard of problems and experienced inadequacy. Problems could also be divided to patient-related, staff-related, organization-related and other problems. The findings correspond with results from earlier studies but add knowledge of the nature and details of nurse managers' ethical problems. New information is produced related to the ethical problems with nurse managers' own courage, motivation and values. Nurse managers identified a variety of different ethical problems in their work. This information is useful in the development of ethics in nursing management. Further research about the frequency and intensity of nurse managers' ethical problems is needed as well as possible differences in different levels of management. © The Author(s) 2015.

Ethics and maternity care: from principles to practice.

PubMed

Lothian, Judith A

2009-01-01

In this column, the associate editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) discusses the decision to devote an issue of JPE to the ethics of childbirth and maternity care. The current crisis in maternity care mandates a careful look at the ethical principles that provide the foundation for practice. The contents of this special issue include: a broad overview of ethics of childbearing, historical perspectives and contemporary understanding of informed decision making, the ethical issues faced by childbirth educators, and the challenges and moral distress experienced by childbirth educators and other maternity care providers when their values, beliefs, and ethical standards are in conflict with standard maternity care practices.

Ethics, culture and nursing practice in Ghana.

PubMed

Donkor, N T; Andrews, L D

2011-03-01

This paper describes how nurses in Ghana approach ethical problems. The International Council of Nurses' (ICN) Code for Nurses (2006) that serves as the model for professional code of ethics worldwide also acknowledges respect for healthy cultural values. Using the ICN's Code and universal ethical principles as a benchmark, a survey was conducted in 2009 to ascertain how nurses in Ghana respond to ethical and cultural issues in their practice. The study was qualitative with 200 participant nurses. Data were obtained through anonymous self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Nurses' approaches to ethical problems in Ghana do not always meet expectations of the ICN Code for Nurses. They are also informed by local ethical practices related to the institutional setting and cultural environment in the country. While some cultural values complemented the ICN's Code and universal ethical principles, others conflicted with them. These data can assist nurses to provide culturally competent solutions to ethical dilemmas in their practice. Dynamic communication between nurses and patients/clients, intentional study of local cultural beliefs, and the development of ethics education will improve the conformity between universal ethical standards and local cultural values. © 2011 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

Interns' perceptions on medical ethics education and ethical issues at the Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine in Turkey.

PubMed

Ozan, S; Timbil, S; Semin, S; Musal, B

2010-11-01

In Turkey and its neighboring countries, few studies have investigated medical students' reactions to ethics education and ethical issues they encounter. The aim of this study was to investigate interns' perceptions of medical ethics education and ethical issues. In students' first three years at the Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, various teaching methods are used in ethics education, including problem-based learning, interactive lectures and movies. During the clinical years, the curriculum helps students consider the ethical dimension of their clinical work, and during the internship period a discussion on ethical issues is held. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to interns in the 2005-2006 academic year. Its questions asked about interns' perceived adequacy of their ethics education, any interpersonal ethical problems they had witnessed, their approaches to ethical problems, obstacles they believe prevented them from resolving ethical problems and whether they felt themselves ready to deal with ethical problems. 67.2 % of interns were reached and all of them responded. In the assessment of the adequacy of ethics education, the most favorable score was given to educators. Students' most often mentioned ethical problems encountered were between physicians and students and between physicians and patients. Interns believed that difficult personalities on the team and team hierarchy were important obstacles to resolving ethical problems. There were significant differences between the approaches students currently used in dealing with ethical problems and how they anticipated they would approach these problems in their future professional lives. We obtained information about students' perceptions about ethics education and ethical problems which helped us to plan other educational activities. This study may assist other medical schools in preparing an ethics curriculum or help evaluate an existing curriculum.

Professional Ethics of Software Engineers: An Ethical Framework.

PubMed

Lurie, Yotam; Mark, Shlomo

2016-04-01

The purpose of this article is to propose an ethical framework for software engineers that connects software developers' ethical responsibilities directly to their professional standards. The implementation of such an ethical framework can overcome the traditional dichotomy between professional skills and ethical skills, which plagues the engineering professions, by proposing an approach to the fundamental tasks of the practitioner, i.e., software development, in which the professional standards are intrinsically connected to the ethical responsibilities. In so doing, the ethical framework improves the practitioner's professionalism and ethics. We call this approach Ethical-Driven Software Development (EDSD), as an approach to software development. EDSD manifests the advantages of an ethical framework as an alternative to the all too familiar approach in professional ethics that advocates "stand-alone codes of ethics". We believe that one outcome of this synergy between professional and ethical skills is simply better engineers. Moreover, since there are often different software solutions, which the engineer can provide to an issue at stake, the ethical framework provides a guiding principle, within the process of software development, that helps the engineer evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different software solutions. It does not and cannot affect the end-product in and of-itself. However, it can and should, make the software engineer more conscious and aware of the ethical ramifications of certain engineering decisions within the process.

Radioactive Decay

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation. Example decay chains illustrate how radioactive atoms can go through many transformations as they become stable and no longer radioactive.

The Ethics Liaison Program: building a moral community.

PubMed

Bates, Sarah R; McHugh, Wendy J; Carbo, Alexander R; O'Neill, Stephen F; Forrow, Lachlan

2017-09-01

Ethicists often struggle to maintain institution-wide awareness of and commitment to medical ethics. At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we created the Ethics Liaison Program to address that challenge by making ethics part of the moral culture of the institution. Liaisons represent clinical and non-clinical areas throughout the medical centre. The liaison has a four-part role: to spread awareness and understanding of Ethics Programs among their coworkers; share information regarding ethical dilemmas in their work area with the members of the Ethics Support Service; review ethics activities and needs within their area; and undertake ethics-related projects. This paper lists the notable attributes of the Ethics Liaison Program, and describes the purpose and structure of the programme, its advantages and the challenges to implementing it. The Ethics Liaison Program has helped to make ethics part of the everyday culture at BIDMC, and other medical centres might benefit from the establishment of similar programmes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Evidence-based ethics – What it should be and what it shouldn't

PubMed Central

Strech, Daniel

2008-01-01

Background The concept of evidence-based medicine has strongly influenced the appraisal and application of empirical information in health care decision-making. One principal characteristic of this concept is the distinction between "evidence" in the sense of high-quality empirical information on the one hand and rather low-quality empirical information on the other hand. In the last 5 to 10 years an increasing number of articles published in international journals have made use of the term "evidence-based ethics", making a systematic analysis and explication of the term and its applicability in ethics important. Discussion In this article four descriptive and two normative characteristics of the general concept "evidence-based" are presented and explained systematically. These characteristics are to then serve as a framework for assessing the methodological and practical challenges of evidence-based ethics as a developing methodology. The superiority of evidence in contrast to other empirical information has several normative implications such as the legitimization of decisions in medicine and ethics. This implicit normativity poses ethical concerns if there is no formal consent on which sort of empirical information deserves the label "evidence" and which does not. In empirical ethics, which relies primarily on interview research and other methods from the social sciences, we still lack gold standards for assessing the quality of study designs and appraising their findings. Conclusion The use of the term "evidence-based ethics" should be discouraged, unless there is enough consensus on how to differentiate between high- and low-quality information produced by empirical ethics. In the meantime, whenever empirical information plays a role, the process of ethical decision-making should make use of systematic reviews of empirical studies that involve a critical appraisal and comparative discussion of data. PMID:18937838

An overview on ethical considerations in stem cell research in Iran and ethical recommendations: A review.

PubMed

Farajkhoda, Tahmineh

2017-02-01

Conducting research on the stem cell lines might bring some worthy good to public. Human Stem Cells (hSCs) research has provided opportunities for scientific progresses and new therapies, but some complex ethical matters should be noticed to ensure that stem cell research is carried out in an ethically appropriate manner. The aim of this review article is to discuss the importance of stem cell research, code of ethics for stem cell research in Iran and ethical recommendation. Generation of stem cells for research from human embryo or adult stem cells, saving, maintenance and using of them are the main ethical, legal and jurisprudence concerns in Iran. Concerns regarding human reproduction or human cloning, breach of human dignity, genetic manipulation and probability of tumorogenisity are observed in adult/somatic stem cells. Destruction of embryo to generate stem cell is an important matter in Iran. In this regards, obtaining stem cell from donated frozen embryos through infertility treatment that would be discarded is an acceptable solution in Iran for generation of embryo for research. Ethical, legal, and jurisprudence strategies for using adult/somatic stem cells are determination of ownership of stem cells, trade prohibition of human body, supervision on bio banks and information of Oversight Committee on Stem Cell Research. Recommendations to handle ethical issues for conducting stem cell research are well-designed studies, compliance codes of ethics in biomedical research (specifically codes of ethics on stem cell research, codes of ethics on clinical trials studies and codes of ethics on animals studies), appropriate collaboration with ethics committees and respecting of rights of participants (including both of human and animal rights) in research. In addition, there is a necessity for extending global networks of bioethics for strengthening communications within organizations at both the regional and international level, strengthening legislation systems

An overview on ethical considerations in stem cell research in Iran and ethical recommendations: A review

PubMed Central

Farajkhoda, Tahmineh

2017-01-01

Conducting research on the stem cell lines might bring some worthy good to public. Human Stem Cells (hSCs) research has provided opportunities for scientific progresses and new therapies, but some complex ethical matters should be noticed to ensure that stem cell research is carried out in an ethically appropriate manner. The aim of this review article is to discuss the importance of stem cell research, code of ethics for stem cell research in Iran and ethical recommendation. Generation of stem cells for research from human embryo or adult stem cells, saving, maintenance and using of them are the main ethical, legal and jurisprudence concerns in Iran. Concerns regarding human reproduction or human cloning, breach of human dignity, genetic manipulation and probability of tumorogenisity are observed in adult/somatic stem cells. Destruction of embryo to generate stem cell is an important matter in Iran. In this regards, obtaining stem cell from donated frozen embryos through infertility treatment that would be discarded is an acceptable solution in Iran for generation of embryo for research. Ethical, legal, and jurisprudence strategies for using adult/somatic stem cells are determination of ownership of stem cells, trade prohibition of human body, supervision on bio banks and information of Oversight Committee on Stem Cell Research. Recommendations to handle ethical issues for conducting stem cell research are well-designed studies, compliance codes of ethics in biomedical research (specifically codes of ethics on stem cell research, codes of ethics on clinical trials studies and codes of ethics on animals studies), appropriate collaboration with ethics committees and respecting of rights of participants (including both of human and animal rights) in research. In addition, there is a necessity for extending global networks of bioethics for strengthening communications within organizations at both the regional and international level, strengthening legislation systems

Current significant challenges in the decommissioning and environmental remediation of radioactive facilities: A perspective from outside the nuclear industry.

PubMed

Gil-Cerezo, V; Domínguez-Vilches, E; González-Barrios, A J

2017-05-01

This paper presents the results of implementing an extrajudicial environmental mediation procedure in the socioenvironmental conflict associated with routine operation of the El Cabril Disposal Facility for low- and medium- activity radioactive waste (Spain). We analyse the socio-ethical perspective of this facility's operation with regard to its nearby residents, detailing the structure and development of the environmental mediation procedure through the participation of society and interested parties who are or may become involved in such a conflict. The research, action, and participation method was used to apply the environmental mediation procedure. This experience provides lessons that could help improve decision-making processes in nuclear or radioactive facility decommissioning projects or in environmental remediation projects dealing with ageing facilities or with those in which nuclear or radioactive accidents/incidents may have occurred. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In a Dimension of Height: Ethics in the Education of Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarc, Aparna Mishra

2006-01-01

Ethics penetrates every aspect of Western education. Many of its dominant narratives-- education as salvation, as progress, as panacea, and as liberation, for example--are infused with the ethical. Educators are compelled by ethical callings; in fact, education as the call of the ethical informs the singular and collective identities of educators.…

Ethics of health policy and systems research: a scoping review of the literature.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Paul, Amy; Hyder, Adnan A; Ali, Joseph

2017-07-01

Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is increasingly funded and undertaken as part of health system strengthening efforts worldwide. HPSR ethics is also a relatively new and emerging field, with numerous normative and descriptive questions that have largely not been considered. Normative questions include what ethical principles and values should guide HPSR. Descriptive questions include what ethical concerns arise when conducting HPSR. A small but growing body of scholarly work characterizes the various ethics issues inherent in HPSR. Towards informing the future development of ethics guidance for HPSR, a scoping review was undertaken to: (1) identify the range of ethics issues relevant to the conduct of HPSR-with a deliberate (though not exclusive) focus on low- and middle-income country settings and (2) describe existing guidance on key ethics issues relevant to HPSR. Using the Cochrane methods as a basis, the review identified formal and informal literature on HPSR ethics by searching the following databases: PubMed's Medline, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, WHO Global Health Regional Libraries, LILACs, OpenDOAR and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine. In total, 11 062 documents were identified from the formal (10 519) and informal (543) literature. One hundred and seven of these documents (formal 99 and informal 8) met at least one inclusion criterion and underwent thematic analysis. Ethical issues in four main categories were identified: upholding autonomy, identifying and balancing risks and benefits, justice and determination of ethical review requirements. The review indicated that the ethical values behind HPSR place an emphasis on its contributing to the reduction of health disparities. Unsurprisingly then, numerous ethical concerns relating to justice arise in HPSR. However, the majority of existing guidance focuses on obtaining or waiving informed consent and, thus, appears to be insufficient for HPSR. A list of priority ethics issues in HPSR in

Ethical leadership outcomes in nursing.

PubMed

Barkhordari-Sharifabad, Maasoumeh; Ashktorab, Tahereh; Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, Foroozan

2017-01-01

Leadership style adopted by nursing managers is a key element in progress and development of nursing and quality of healthcare services received by the patients. In this regard, the role of ethical leadership is of utmost importance. The objective of the study was to elaborate on the ethical leadership and its role in professional progress and growth of nurses in the light of work condition in health providing institutes. The study was carried out as a qualitative study following conventional content analysis method. In total, 14 nursing faculty members and nursing managers at different levels were selected through purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used for data gathering. The data were analyzed using latent content analysis and constant comparison analysis. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted in accordance with ethical issues in research with human participants and national rules and regulations related to informed consent and confidentiality. The study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, under the code: sbmu.rec.1393.695 on 15 February 2015. Five subcategories were obtained based on the analysis, which constituted two main categories including "all-inclusive satisfaction" and "productivity." Nursing leaders highlighted the point that their ethical behavior creates "inner satisfaction of the leader," "employees' job satisfaction," and "patients' satisfaction." Improvement of productivity was another outcome of ethical behavior of the leaders. This kind of behavior resulted in "providing better services" and "inspiring ethical behavior in the employees." It has great influence on progress and growth of the nursing profession. By creating an ethical climate, ethical leadership leads to positive and effective outcomes-for the patients as well as for the nurses and the leaders-and professional progress and development of the nursing profession

Are nursing codes of practice ethical?

PubMed

Pattison, S

2001-01-01

This article provides a theoretical critique from a particular 'ideal type' ethical perspective of professional codes in general and the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) Code of professional conduct (reprinted on pp. 77-78) in particular. Having outlined a specific 'ideal type' of what ethically informed and aware practice may be, the article examines the extent to which professional codes may be likely to elicit and engender such practice. Because of their terminological inexactitudes and confusions, their arbitrary values and principles, their lack of helpful ethical guidance, and their exclusion of ordinary moral experience, a number of contemporary professional codes in health and social care can be arraigned as ethically inadequate. The UKCC Code of professional conduct embodies many of these flaws, and others besides. Some of its weaknesses in this respect are anatomized before some tentative suggestions are offered for the reform of codes and the engendering of greater ethical awareness among professionals in the light of greater public ethical concerns and values.

The development of computer ethics: contributions from business ethics and medical ethics.

PubMed

Wong, K; Steinke, G

2000-04-01

In this essay, we demonstrate that the field of computer ethics shares many core similarities with two other areas of applied ethics. Academicians writing and teaching in the area of computer ethics, along with practitioners, must address ethical issues that are qualitatively similar in nature to those raised in medicine and business. In addition, as academic disciplines, these three fields also share some similar concerns. For example, all face the difficult challenge of maintaining a credible dialogue with diverse constituents such as academicians of various disciplines, professionals, policymakers, and the general public. Given these similarities, the fields of bioethics and business ethics can serve as useful models for the development of computer ethics.

Ethical issues in pragmatic randomized controlled trials: a review of the recent literature identifies gaps in ethical argumentation.

PubMed

Goldstein, Cory E; Weijer, Charles; Brehaut, Jamie C; Fergusson, Dean A; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Horn, Austin R; Taljaard, Monica

2018-02-27

Pragmatic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in real-world clinical conditions. However, these studies raise ethical issues for researchers and regulators. Our objective is to identify a list of key ethical issues in pragmatic RCTs and highlight gaps in the ethics literature. We conducted a scoping review of articles addressing ethical aspects of pragmatic RCTs. After applying the search strategy and eligibility criteria, 36 articles were included and reviewed using content analysis. Our review identified four major themes: 1) the research-practice distinction; 2) the need for consent; 3) elements that must be disclosed in the consent process; and 4) appropriate oversight by research ethics committees. 1) Most authors reject the need for a research-practice distinction in pragmatic RCTs. They argue that the distinction rests on the presumptions that research participation offers patients less benefit and greater risk than clinical practice, but neither is true in the case of pragmatic RCTs. 2) Most authors further conclude that pragmatic RCTs may proceed without informed consent or with simplified consent procedures when risks are low and consent is infeasible. 3) Authors who endorse the need for consent assert that information need only be disclosed when research participation poses incremental risks compared to clinical practice. Authors disagree as to whether randomization must be disclosed. 4) Finally, all authors view regulatory oversight as burdensome and a practical impediment to the conduct of pragmatic RCTs, and argue that oversight procedures ought to be streamlined when risks to participants are low. The current ethical discussion is framed by the assumption that the function of research oversight is to protect participants from risk. As pragmatic RCTs commonly involve usual care interventions, the risks may be minimal. This leads many to reject the research-practice distinction and question

Do information, price, or morals influence ethical consumption? A natural field experiment and customer survey on the purchase of Fair Trade coffee.

PubMed

Andorfer, Veronika A; Liebe, Ulf

2015-07-01

We address ethical consumption using a natural field experiment on the actual purchase of Fair Trade (FT) coffee in three supermarkets in Germany. Based on a quasi-experimental before-and-after design the effects of three different treatments - information, 20% price reduction, and a moral appeal - are analyzed. Sales data cover actual ethical purchase behavior and avoid problems of social desirability. But they offer only limited insights into the motivations of individual consumers. We therefore complemented the field experiment with a customer survey that allows us to contrast observed (ethical) buying behavior with self-reported FT consumption. Results from the experiment suggest that only the price reduction had the expected positive and statistically significant effect on FT consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Collaborative international research: ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to human biological materials at a South African institutional research ethics committee.

PubMed

Sathar, Aslam; Dhai, Amaboo; van der Linde, Stephan

2014-12-01

Human Biological Materials (HBMs) are an invaluable resource in biomedical research. To determine if researchers and a Research Ethics Committee (REC) at a South African institution addressed ethical issues pertaining to HBMs in collaborative research with developed countries. Ethically approved retrospective cross-sectional descriptive audit. Of the 1305 protocols audited, 151 (11.57%) fulfilled the study's inclusion criteria. Compared to other developed countries, a majority of sponsors (90) were from the USA (p = 0.0001). The principle investigators (PIs) in all 151 protocols informed the REC of their intent to store HBMs. Only 132 protocols informed research participants (P < 0.0001). In 148 protocols informed consent (IC) was obtained from research participants, 116 protocols (76.8%) solicited broad consent compared to specific consent (32; 21.2%) [p < 0.0001]. In 105 cases a code was used to maintain confidentiality. HBMs were anonymised in 14 protocols [p < 0.0001]. More protocols informed the REC (90) than the research participants (67) that HBMs would be exported (p = 0.011). Export permits (EPs) and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) were not available in 109 and 143 protocols, respectively. Researchers and the REC did not adequately address the inter-related ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to HBMs. There was a lack of congruence between the ethical guidelines of developed countries and their actions which are central to the access to HBMs in collaborative research. HBMs may be leaving South Africa without EPs and MTAs during the process of international collaborative research. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ethical Issues Surrounding Personalized Medicine: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Salari, Pooneh; Larijani, Bagher

2017-03-01

More than a decade ago, personalized medicine was presented in modern medicine. Personalized medicine means that the right drug should be prescribed for the right patient based on genetic data. No doubt is developing medical sciences, and its shift into personalized medicine complicates ethical challenges more than before. In this review, we categorized all probable ethical considerations of personalized medicine in research and development and service provision. Based on our review, extensive changes in healthcare system including ethical changes are needed to overcome the ethical obstacles including knowledge gap and informed consent, privacy and confidentiality and availability of healthcare services. Furthermore social benefit versus science development and individual benefit should be balanced. Therefore guidelines and regulations should be compiled to represent the ethical framework; also ethical decision making should be day-to-day and individualized.

Transporting Radioactive Waste: An Engineering Activity. Grades 5-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HAZWRAP, The Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program.

This brochure contains an engineering activity for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students that examines the transportation of radioactive waste. The activity is designed to inform students about the existence of radioactive waste and its transportation to disposal sites. Students experiment with methods to contain the waste and…

Imaginative ethics--bringing ethical praxis into sharper relief.

PubMed

Hansson, Mats G

2002-01-01

The empirical basis for this article is three years of experience with ethical rounds at Uppsala University Hospital. Three standard approaches of ethical reasoning are examined as potential explanations of what actually occurs during the ethical rounds. For reasons given, these are not found to be satisfying explanations. An approach called "imaginative ethics", is suggested as a more satisfactory account of this kind of ethical reasoning. The participants in the ethical rounds seem to draw on a kind of moral competence based on personal life experience and professional competence and experience. By listening to other perspectives and other experiences related to one particular patient story, the participants imagine alternative horizons of moral experience and explore a multitude of values related to clinical practice that might be at stake. In his systematic treatment of aesthetics in the Critique of Judgement, Kant made use of an operation of thought that, if applied to ethics, will enable us to be more sensitive to the particulars of each moral situation. Based on this reading of Kant, an account of imaginative ethics is developed in order to bring the ethical praxis of doctors and nurses into sharper relief. The Hebraic and the Hellenic traditions of imagination are used in order to illuminate some of the experiences of ethical rounds. In conclusion, it is argued that imaginative ethics and principle-based ethics should be seen as complementary in order to endow a moral discourse with ethical authority. Kantian ethics will do the job if it is remembered that Kant suggested only a modest, negative role of principle-based deliberation.

Medical internet ethics: a field in evolution.

PubMed

Dyer, K A; Thompson, C D

2001-01-01

As in any new field, the merger of medicine, e-commerce and the Internet raises many questions pertaining to ethical conduct. Key issues include defining the essence of the patient-provider relationship, establishing guidelines and training for practicing online medicine and therapy, setting standards for ethical online research, determining guidelines for providing quality healthcare information and requiring ethical conduct for medical and health websites. Physicians who follow their professional code of ethics are obligated not to exploit the relationship they have with patients, nor allow anyone else working with them to do so. Physicians and therapists are obligated to serve those who place trust in them for treatment, whether in face-to-face or online Internet encounters with patients or clients. This ethical responsibility to patients and clients is often in direct conflict with the business model of generating profits. Healthcare professionals involved in Medical Internet Ethics need to define the scope of competent medical and healthcare on the Internet. The emerging ethical issues facing medicine on the Internet, the current state of medical ethics on the Internet and questions for future directions of study in this evolving field are reviewed in this paper.

Ethics Instruction in Undergraduate Astronomy and Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilachowski, Catherine A.; van Zee, L.; Bacher, A. D.; Durisen, R. H.

2009-01-01

Instruction in research ethics is now included as part of the formal undergraduate curriculum in astronomy and physics at Indiana University. Traditionally, students learn research ethics through informal mentoring by research advisors. However, a more formal approach is encouraged by funding agencies, professional societies, and common sense. Following the booklet, "On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research" (1995, National Academy Press), our ethics program is built around a "case study" approach using scenarios involving real life situations that students are likely to encounter as undergraduates or beginning graduate students. Students discuss possible resolutions of the ethical questions involved. Discussion topics include reporting data, data rights, credit for ideas, and professional behavior. Scenarios for graduate students involve ethical concerns more appropriate for their career stage, including conflicts of interest, authorship, and collaboration. The answers are not clear-cut, and students must grapple with shades of gray to help them define what the limits of ethical behavior are. The scenarios are available on the Web at www.astro.indiana.edu/education/ethics.html

The ethical challenges of animal research.

PubMed

Ferdowsian, Hope R; Gluck, John P

2015-10-01

In 1966, Henry K. Beecher published an article entitled "Ethics and Clinical Research" in the New England Journal of Medicine, which cited examples of ethically problematic human research. His influential paper drew attention to common moral problems such as inadequate attention to informed consent, risks, and efforts to provide ethical justification. Beecher's paper provoked significant advancements in human research policies and practices. In this paper, we use an approach modeled after Beecher's 1966 paper to show that moral problems with animal research are similar to the problems Beecher described for human research. We describe cases that illustrate ethical deficiencies in the conduct of animal research, including inattention to the issue of consent or assent, incomplete surveys of the harms caused by specific protocols, inequitable burdens on research subjects in the absence of benefits to them, and insufficient efforts to provide ethical justification. We provide a set of recommendations to begin to address these deficits.

Legal and ethical issues in research

PubMed Central

Yip, Camille; Han, Nian-Lin Reena; Sng, Ban Leong

2016-01-01

Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern research, related to the subject and researcher. This article seeks to briefly review the various international guidelines and regulations that exist on issues related to informed consent, confidentiality, providing incentives and various forms of research misconduct. Relevant original publications (The Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences/World Health Organisation International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Association of Medical Editors Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, CoSE White Paper, International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use-Good Clinical Practice) form the literature that are relevant to the ethical and legal aspects of conducting research that researchers should abide by when conducting translational and clinical research. Researchers should note the major international guidelines and regional differences in legislation. Hence, specific ethical advice should be sought at local Ethics Review Committees. PMID:27729698

Legal and ethical issues in research.

PubMed

Yip, Camille; Han, Nian-Lin Reena; Sng, Ban Leong

2016-09-01

Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern research, related to the subject and researcher. This article seeks to briefly review the various international guidelines and regulations that exist on issues related to informed consent, confidentiality, providing incentives and various forms of research misconduct. Relevant original publications (The Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences/World Health Organisation International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Association of Medical Editors Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, CoSE White Paper, International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use-Good Clinical Practice) form the literature that are relevant to the ethical and legal aspects of conducting research that researchers should abide by when conducting translational and clinical research. Researchers should note the major international guidelines and regional differences in legislation. Hence, specific ethical advice should be sought at local Ethics Review Committees.

The ethical practice of psychotherapy: easily within our reach.

PubMed

Barnett, Jeffrey E

2008-05-01

Psychotherapists confront a myriad of ethical dilemmas as they endeavor to provide effective services. This issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session on Ethics in Psychotherapy provides psychotherapists with thoughtful reviews, case examples, and practical guidance in the major areas of ethics. Following this brief introduction, the subsequent seven articles cover Informed consent; confidentiality, privilege, and their limits; treatment of minors and their families; business matters of practice (e.g., money, fees, bartering, advertising); clinical competence and scope of practice; boundaries and nonsexual multiple relationships; and termination and abandonment. This issue is designed to promote ethical practice, to provide guidance on common ethical dilemmas, and to prevent ethical challenges before they occur.

Empirical ethics and its alleged meta-ethical fallacies.

PubMed

de Vries, Rob; Gordijn, Bert

2009-05-01

This paper analyses the concept of empirical ethics as well as three meta-ethical fallacies that empirical ethics is said to face: the is-ought problem, the naturalistic fallacy and violation of the fact-value distinction. Moreover, it answers the question of whether empirical ethics (necessarily) commits these three basic meta-ethical fallacies.

Diagnosing dementia: Ethnography, interactional ethics and everyday moral reasoning

PubMed Central

Hillman, Alexandra

2016-01-01

This article highlights the contribution of ethnography and qualitative sociology to the ethical challenges that frame the diagnosis of dementia. To illustrate this contribution, the paper draws on an ethnographic study of UK memory clinics carried out between 2012 and 2014. The ethnographic data, set alongside other studies and sociological theory, contest the promotion of a traditional view of autonomy; the limiting of the point of ethical interest to a distinct moment of diagnosis disclosure; and the failure to recognise risk and uncertainty in the building of clinical ‘facts’ and their communication. In addressing these specific concerns, this article contributes to the wider debate over the relationship between sociology and bioethics (medical ethics). At the heart of these debates lies more fundamental questions: how can we best understand and shape moral decision-making and ethics that guide behaviour in medical practice, and what should be the guiding ideas, concepts and methods to inform ethics in the clinic? Using the case of dementia diagnosis, this article illustrates the benefits of an ethnographic approach, not just for understanding this ethical problem but also for exploring if and how a more empirically informed ethics can help shape healthcare practices for the better. PMID:28255279

Participatory action research: considerations for ethical review.

PubMed

Khanlou, N; Peter, E

2005-05-01

This paper addresses the distinctive nature of participatory action research (PAR) in relation to ethical review requirements. As a framework for conducting research and reducing health disparities, PAR is gaining increased attention in community and public health research. As a result, PAR researchers and members of Research Ethics Boards could benefit from an increased understanding of the array of ethical concerns that can arise. We discuss these concerns in light of commonly held ethical requirements for clinical research (social or scientific value, scientific validity, fair subject/participant selection, favourable risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for potential and enrolled participants) and refer to guidelines specifically developed for participatory research in health promotion. We draw from our community-based experiences in mental health promotion research with immigrant and culturally diverse youth to illustrate the ethical advantages and challenges of applying a PAR approach. We conclude with process suggestions for Research Ethics Boards.

Ethics and health promotion practice: exploring attitudes and practices in Western Australian health organisations.

PubMed

Reilly, T; Crawford, G; Lobo, R; Leavy, J; Jancey, J

2016-04-01

Issue addressed Evidence-informed practice underpinned by ethics is fundamental to developing the science of health promotion. Knowledge and application of ethical principles are competencies required for health promotion practice. However, these competencies are often inconsistently understood and applied. This research explored attitudes, practices, enablers and barriers related to ethics in practice in Western Australian health organisations. Methods Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 health promotion practitioners, purposefully selected to provide a cross-section of government and non-government organisations. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and then themed. Results The majority of participants reported consideration of ethics in their practice; however, only half reported seeking Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval for projects in the past 12 months. Enablers identified as supporting ethics in practice and disseminating findings included: support preparing ethics applications; resources and training about ethical practice; ability to access HRECs for ethics approval; and a supportive organisational culture. Barriers included: limited time; insufficient resourcing and capacity; ethics approval not seen as part of core business; and concerns about academic writing. Conclusion The majority of participants were aware of the importance of ethics in practice and the dissemination of findings. However, participants reported barriers to engaging in formal ethics processes and to publishing findings. So what? Alignment of evidence-informed and ethics-based practice is critical. Resources and information about ethics may be required to support practice and encourage dissemination of findings, including in the peer-reviewed literature. Investigating the role of community-based ethics boards may be valuable to bridging the ethics-evidence gap.

The Development of a Contextual Information Framework Model as a Potential IAEA Strategy to Maintain Radioactive Waste Knowledge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upshall, I.R.; McCarthy, G.J.

A contextual framework comprises 'entities' that exhibit one or more definable relationships with a particular 'event'. People, organisations, concepts, ideas, places, natural phenomena, events themselves, cultural artefacts including records, books, works of art can all be conceptualised as entities. If these entities are registered in an information management system where the relationships between them can be defined and systematically managed then it is possible to create a contextual information framework that represents a particular view of what occurs in real life. The careful identifying and mapping of the relationships between these entities and the selected event can lead rapidly tomore » the creation of an information network that closely reflects the human approach to knowledge acquisition and application. The 'event' referred to in this paper is the safe management of radioactive waste. It is widely accepted that society will expect that knowledge about the waste will be maintained for many decades, if not centuries. Delivering on this expectation will demand the application of management approaches that are both innovative and sustainable. Effective inter-generational transfer of information using many 'conventional' techniques will be highly dependent on societal stability - something that cannot be guaranteed over such long periods of time. Consequently, alternative approaches should be explored and, where appropriate, implemented to give reasonable assurance that future generations of waste custodians will not be unduly burdened by the need to recreate information about the waste long after its disposal. In actual fact, the contextual information framework model is not 'new technology' but simply a means for rationalising and representing the way humans naturally tend to use information in the pursuit of knowledge enhancement. By making use of multiple information entities and their relationships, it is often possible to convert otherwise

Addressing Ethics and Technology in Business: Preparing Today's Students for the Ethical Challenges Presented by Technology in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Rochelle

2008-01-01

The ethical development of information systems is but one of those sensitive scenarios associated with computer technology that has a tremendous impact on individuals and social life. The significance of these issues of concern cannot be overstated. However, since computer ethics is meant to be everybody's responsibility, the result can often be…

Ethical aspects of registry-based research in the Nordic countries.

PubMed

Ludvigsson, Jonas F; Håberg, Siri E; Knudsen, Gun Peggy; Lafolie, Pierre; Zoega, Helga; Sarkkola, Catharina; von Kraemer, Stephanie; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Nørgaard, Mette

2015-01-01

National health care registries in the Nordic countries share many attributes, but different legal and ethical frameworks represent a challenge to promoting effective joint research. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about how ethical matters are considered in Nordic registry-based research, and a lack of knowledge about how Nordic ethics committees operate and what is needed to obtain an approval. In this paper, we review ethical aspects of registry-based research, the legal framework, the role of ethics review boards in the Nordic countries, and the structure of the ethics application. We discuss the role of informed consent in registry-based research and how to safeguard the integrity of study participants, including vulnerable subjects and children. Our review also provides information on the different government agencies that contribute registry-based data, and a list of the major health registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Both ethical values and conditions for registry-based research are similar in the Nordic countries. While Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have chosen different legal frameworks, these differences can be resolved through mutual recognition of ethical applications and by harmonizing the different systems, likely leading to increased collaboration and enlarged studies.

Ethical aspects of registry-based research in the Nordic countries

PubMed Central

Ludvigsson, Jonas F; Håberg, Siri E; Knudsen, Gun Peggy; Lafolie, Pierre; Zoega, Helga; Sarkkola, Catharina; von Kraemer, Stephanie; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Nørgaard, Mette

2015-01-01

National health care registries in the Nordic countries share many attributes, but different legal and ethical frameworks represent a challenge to promoting effective joint research. Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge about how ethical matters are considered in Nordic registry-based research, and a lack of knowledge about how Nordic ethics committees operate and what is needed to obtain an approval. In this paper, we review ethical aspects of registry-based research, the legal framework, the role of ethics review boards in the Nordic countries, and the structure of the ethics application. We discuss the role of informed consent in registry-based research and how to safeguard the integrity of study participants, including vulnerable subjects and children. Our review also provides information on the different government agencies that contribute registry-based data, and a list of the major health registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Both ethical values and conditions for registry-based research are similar in the Nordic countries. While Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have chosen different legal frameworks, these differences can be resolved through mutual recognition of ethical applications and by harmonizing the different systems, likely leading to increased collaboration and enlarged studies. PMID:26648756

Ethics, equality and evidence in health promotion Danish guidelines for municipalities.

PubMed

Vallgårda, Signild

2014-06-01

The Danish National Board of Health has expressed its commitment to social equality in health, evidence-informed health promotion and public health ethics, and has issued guidelines for municipalities on health promotion, in Danish named prevention packages. The aim of this article is to analyse whether the Board of Health adheres to ideals of equality, evidence and ethics in these guidelines. An analysis to detect statements about equity, evidence and ethics in 10 health promotion packages directed at municipalities with the aim of guiding the municipalities towards evidence-informed disease prevention and health promotion. Despite declared intentions of prioritizing social equality in health, these intentions are largely absent from most of the packages. When health inequalities are mentioned, focus is on the disadvantaged or the marginalized. Several interventions are recommended, where there is no evidence to support them, notwithstanding the ambition of interventions being evidence-informed. Ethical considerations are scanty, scattered and unsystematically integrated. Further, although some packages mention the importance of avoiding stigmatization, there is little indicating how this could be done. Including reduction of health inequalities and evidence-informed and ethically defendable interventions in health promotion is a challenge, which is not yet fully met by the National Board of Health. When judged from liberal ethical principles, only few of the suggested interventions are acceptable, i.e., those concerning information, but from a paternalistic view, all interventions that may actually benefit the citizens are justified. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Information Management System Supporting a Multiple Property Survey Program with Legacy Radioactive Contamination.

PubMed

Stager, Ron; Chambers, Douglas; Wiatzka, Gerd; Dupre, Monica; Callough, Micah; Benson, John; Santiago, Erwin; van Veen, Walter

2017-04-01

The Port Hope Area Initiative is a project mandated and funded by the Government of Canada to remediate properties with legacy low-level radioactive waste contamination in the Town of Port Hope, Ontario. The management and use of large amounts of data from surveys of some 4800 properties is a significant task critical to the success of the project. A large amount of information is generated through the surveys, including scheduling individual field visits to the properties, capture of field data laboratory sample tracking, QA/QC, property report generation and project management reporting. Web-mapping tools were used to track and display temporal progress of various tasks and facilitated consideration of spatial associations of contamination levels. The IM system facilitated the management and integrity of the large amounts of information collected, evaluation of spatial associations, automated report reproduction and consistent application and traceable execution for this project.x. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethical issues in exercise psychology.

PubMed

Pauline, Jeffrey S; Pauline, Gina A; Johnson, Scott R; Gamble, Kelly M

2006-01-01

Exercise psychology encompasses the disciplines of psychiatry, clinical and counseling psychology, health promotion, and the movement sciences. This emerging field involves diverse mental health issues, theories, and general information related to physical activity and exercise. Numerous research investigations across the past 20 years have shown both physical and psychological benefits from physical activity and exercise. Exercise psychology offers many opportunities for growth while positively influencing the mental and physical health of individuals, communities, and society. However, the exercise psychology literature has not addressed ethical issues or dilemmas faced by mental health professionals providing exercise psychology services. This initial discussion of ethical issues in exercise psychology is an important step in continuing to move the field forward. Specifically, this article will address the emergence of exercise psychology and current health behaviors and offer an overview of ethics and ethical issues, education/training and professional competency, cultural and ethnic diversity, multiple-role relationships and conflicts of interest, dependency issues, confidentiality and recording keeping, and advertisement and self-promotion.

How Should Ethical Theories Be Dealt with in Engineering Ethics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohishi, Toshihiro

Contemporary engineering ethics scholars deal with contesting several ethical theories without criticizing them radically and try to use them to solve ethical problems. In this paper I first show that a conflict between ethical theories is not superficial, and pragmatic methods are adopted in engineering ethics. Second, I claim that the way to deal with contesting ethical theories in contemporary engineering ethics has an unacceptable side which does not accord with my argument that a conflict between ethical theories is not superficial and pragmatic methods are adopted in engineering ethics. Finally, I conclude that this inconsistency in contemporary engineering ethics should be corrected to make contemporary engineering ethics consistent.

Teaching Ethics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shellogg, Kathy M.; And Others

1988-01-01

Student activities professionals have a role in teaching ethics on campuses. Teaching ethics is defined as "the process of teaching ethical decision making." Karen Strohm Kitchener's "Model of Ethical Decision Making" provides a framework to be used when looking at an ethical problem. (MLW)

The ethics of research using electronic mail discussion groups.

PubMed

Kralik, Debbie; Warren, Jim; Price, Kay; Koch, Tina; Pignone, Gino

2005-12-01

The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss the ethical considerations that have confronted and challenged the research team when researchers facilitate conversations using private electronic mail discussion lists. The use of electronic mail group conversations, as a collaborative data generation method, remains underdeveloped in nursing. Ethical challenges associated with this approach to data generation have only begun to be considered. As receipt of ethics approval for a study titled; 'Describing transition with people who live with chronic illness' we have been challenged by many ethical dilemmas, hence we believe it is timely to share the issues that have confronted the research team. These discussions are essential so we can understand the possibilities for research interaction, communication, and collaboration made possible by advanced information technologies. Our experiences in this study have increased our awareness for ongoing ethical discussions about privacy, confidentiality, consent, accountability and openness underpinning research with human participants when generating data using an electronic mail discussion group. We describe how we work at upholding these ethical principles focusing on informed consent, participant confidentiality and privacy, the participants as threats to themselves and one another, public-private confusion, employees with access, hackers and threats from the researchers. A variety of complex issues arise during cyberspace research that can make the application of traditional ethical standards troublesome. Communication in cyberspace alters the temporal, spatial and sensory components of human interaction, thereby challenging traditional ethical definitions and calling to question some basic assumptions about identity and ones right to keep aspects of it confidential. Nurse researchers are bound by human research ethics protocols; however, the nature of research by electronic mail generates moral issues as well as ethical

Ethical issues identified by obstetrics and gynecology learners through a novel ethics curriculum.

PubMed

Mejia, Rachel B; Shinkunas, Laura A; Ryan, Ginny L

2015-12-01

Obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) is fraught with bioethical issues, the professional significance of which may vary based on clinical experience. Our objective was to utilize our novel ethics curriculum to identify ethics and professionalism issues highlighted by ob/gyn learners and to compare responses between learner levels to further inform curricular development. We introduced an integrated and dynamic ob/gyn ethics and professionalism curriculum and mixed methods analysis of 181 resulting written reflections (case observation and assessments) from third-year medical students and from first- to fourth-year ob/gyn residents. Content was compared by learner level using basic thematic analysis and summary statistics. Within the 7 major ethics and professionalism domains, learners wrote most frequently about miscellaneous ob/gyn issues such as periviability and abortion (22% of students, 20% of residents) and problematic treatment decisions (20% of students, 19% of residents) rather than professional duty, communication, justice, student-/resident-specific issues, or quality of care. The most commonly discussed ob/gyn area by both learner groups was obstetrics rather than gynecology, gynecologic oncology, or reproductive endocrinology and infertility, although residents were more likely to discuss obstetrics-related concerns than students (65% vs 48%; P = .04) and students wrote about gynecologic oncology-related concerns more frequently than residents (25% vs 6%; P = .002). In their reflections, sources of ethical value (eg, the 4 classic ethics principles, professional guidelines, and consequentialism) were cited more frequently and in greater number by students than by residents (82% of students cited at least 1 source of ethical value vs 65% of residents; P = .01). Residents disagreed more frequently with the ethical propriety of clinical management than did students (67% vs 43%; P = .005). Our study introduces an innovative and dynamic approach to an ob

Solving Ethical Dilemmas with Children: Empowering Classroom Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parr, Michelann

2010-01-01

This article identifies and discusses ethical dilemmas inherent when undertaking research with children or other vulnerable populations: power relations, risks and benefits, and informed consent and confidentiality (Maguire, 2005). Ethical dilemmas often arise when researchers attempt to merge the interests of their research and the interests of…

Ethical Issues in Accounting: A Teaching Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doolan, Amy L.

2013-01-01

Theodore Roosevelt said, "To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." With this quote in mind, this paper describes three ethical issues in the discipline area of accounting. The format of the paper is to first provide background information on the ethical question or scenario then to provide a…

Ethical framework of assistive devices: review and reflection.

PubMed

Mansouri, Nazanin; Goher, Khaled; Hosseini, Seyed Ebrahim

2017-01-01

The population of ageing is growing significantly over the world, and there is an emerging demand for better healthcare services and more care centres. Innovations of Information and Communication Technology has resulted in development of various types of assistive robots to fulfil elderly's needs and independency, whilst carrying out daily routine tasks. This makes it vital to have a clear understanding of elderly's needs and expectations from assistive robots. This paper addresses current ethical issues to understand elderly's prime needs. Also, we consider other general ethics with the purpose of applying these theories to form a proper ethics framework. In the ethics framework, the ethical concerns of senior citizens will be prioritized to satisfy elderly's needs and also to diminish related expenses to healthcare services.

Mental health research, ethics and multiculturalism.

PubMed

Bailes, Marion J; Minas, I Harry; Klimidis, Steven

2006-01-01

In this paper we examine ethical issues relevant to conducting mental health research with refugees and immigrant communities that have cultural orientations and social organisation that are substantially different to those of the broader Australian community, and we relate these issues to NH&MRC Guidelines. We describe the development and conduct of a mental health research project carried out recently in Melbourne with the Somali community, focusing on ethical principles involved, and relating these to the NH&MRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, and the NH&MRC document Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research. The experience of conducting mental health research with the Somali community highlights the fact that the principles of inclusion and benefit enunciated in the NH&MRC document Values and Ethics are particularly pertinent when conducting research with refugees and immigrant communities that are culturally distant to those of the broader Australian community. These principles inform issues of research design and consent, as well as guiding respectful engagement with the participating community and communication of the research findings.

Induced radioactivity in LDEF components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harmon, B. A.; Fishman, G. J.; Parnell, T. A.; Laird, C. E.

1992-01-01

A systematic study of the induced radioactivity of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is being carried out in order to gather information about the low earth orbit radiation environment and its effects on materials. The large mass of the LDEF spacecraft, its stabilized configuration, and long mission duration have presented an opportunity to determine space radiation-induced radioactivities with a precision not possible before. Data presented include preliminary activities for steel and aluminum structural samples, and activation subexperiment foils. Effects seen in the data show a clear indication of the trapped proton anisotropy in the South Atlantic Anomaly and suggest contributions from different sources of external radiation fluxes.

Simulated Patient Studies: An Ethical Analysis

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Karin V; Miller, Franklin G

2012-01-01

Context In connection with health care reform, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a “mystery shopper,” or simulated patient study, to measure access to primary care. But the study was shelved because of public controversy over “government spying” on doctors. Opponents of the study also raised ethical concerns about the use of deception with human subjects without soliciting their informed consent. Methods We undertook an ethical analysis of the use of simulated patient techniques in health services research, with a particular focus on research measuring access to care. Using a case study, we explored relevant methodological considerations and ethical principles relating to deceptive research without informed consent, as well as U.S. federal regulations permitting exceptions to consent. Findings Several relevant considerations both favor and oppose soliciting consent for simulated patient studies. Making research participation conditional on informed consent protects the autonomy of research subjects and shields them from unreasonable exposure to research risks. However, scientific validity is also an important ethical principle of human subjects research, as the net risks to subjects must be justified by the value to society of the knowledge to be gained. The use of simulated patients to monitor access is a naturalistic and scientifically sound experimental design that can answer important policy-relevant questions, with minimal risks to human subjects. As interaction between researchers and subjects increases, however, so does the need for consent. Conclusions As long as adequate protections of confidentiality of research data are in place, minimally intrusive simulated patient research that gathers policy-relevant data on the health system without the consent of individuals working in that system can be ethically justified when the risks and burdens to research subjects are minimal and the research has the potential to generate

Acute care research: is it ethical?

PubMed

Iserson, K V; Mahowald, M B

1992-07-01

Research in acute care is a troubling area for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and informed consent. Confusion about ethical and legal requirements has hampered research efforts and subsequent patient benefits. Acute care patients are the relatively few critical care patients who have suffered unexpected events that carry a high probability of mortality or severe morbidity unless immediate medical intervention is provided. We argue that acute care research is justified if the usual ethical requirements for research are modified to reflect the uniqueness of the situation. Our recommendations are to: a) use an explicit definition of acute care as distinct from other modes of critical care; b) eliminate the requirement for informed consent (as it is usually understood); and c) require stringent IRB oversight, regarding the unique ethical problems raised by this area of research. We further suggest that IRB oversight includes review of the protocol by a panel of individuals who represent possible enrollees in the proposed study.

Symbiotic empirical ethics: a practical methodology.

PubMed

Frith, Lucy

2012-05-01

Like any discipline, bioethics is a developing field of academic inquiry; and recent trends in scholarship have been towards more engagement with empirical research. This 'empirical turn' has provoked extensive debate over how such 'descriptive' research carried out in the social sciences contributes to the distinctively normative aspect of bioethics. This paper will address this issue by developing a practical research methodology for the inclusion of data from social science studies into ethical deliberation. This methodology will be based on a naturalistic conception of ethical theory that sees practice as informing theory just as theory informs practice - the two are symbiotically related. From this engagement with practice, the ways that such theories need to be extended and developed can be determined. This is a practical methodology for integrating theory and practice that can be used in empirical studies, one that uses ethical theory both to explore the data and to draw normative conclusions. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

RADIO-ACTIVE TRANSDUCER

DOEpatents

Wanetick, S.

1962-03-01

ABS>ure the change in velocity of a moving object. The transducer includes a radioactive source having a collimated beam of radioactive particles, a shield which can block the passage of the radioactive beam, and a scintillation detector to measure the number of radioactive particles in the beam which are not blocked by the shield. The shield is operatively placed across the radioactive beam so that any motion normal to the beam will cause the shield to move in the opposite direction thereby allowing more radioactive particles to reach the detector. The number of particles detected indicates the acceleration. (AEC)

Ethical concerns and dilemmas of Finnish and Dutch health professionals.

PubMed

Hopia, Hanna; Lottes, Ilsa; Kanne, Mariël

2016-09-01

Healthcare professionals encounter ethical dilemmas and concerns in their practice. More research is needed to understand these ethical problems and to know how to educate professionals to respond to them. To describe ethical dilemmas and concerns at work from the perspectives of Finnish and Dutch healthcare professionals studying at the master's level. Exploratory, qualitative study that used the text of student online discussions of ethical dilemmas at work as data. Participants' online discussions were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The sample consisted of 49 students at master's level enrolled in professional ethics courses at universities in Finland and the Netherlands. Permission for conducting the study was granted from both universities of applied sciences. All students provided their informed consent for the use of their assignments as research data. Participants described 51 problematic work situations. Among these, 16 were found to be ethical dilemmas, and the remaining were work issues with an ethical concern and did not meet criteria of a dilemma. The most common problems resulted from concerns about quality care, safety of healthcare professionals, patients' rights, and working with too few staff and inadequate resources. The results indicated that participants were concerned about providing quality of care and raised numerous questions about how to provide it in challenging situations. The results show that it was difficult for students to differentiate ethical dilemmas from other ethical work concerns. Online discussions among healthcare providers give them an opportunity to relate ethical principles to real ethical dilemmas and problems in their work as well as to critically analyze ethical issues. We found that discussions with descriptions of ethical dilemmas and concerns by health professionals provide important information and recommendations not only for education and practice but also for health policy. © The Author(s) 2015.

FuturICT — The road towards ethical ICT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Hoven, J.; Helbing, D.; Pedreschi, D.; Domingo-Ferrer, J.; Gianotti, F.; Christen, M.

2012-11-01

The pervasive use of information and communication technology (ICT) in modern societies enables countless opportunities for individuals, institutions, businesses and scientists, but also raises difficult ethical and social problems. In particular, ICT helped to make societies more complex and thus harder to understand, which impedes social and political interventions to avoid harm and to increase the common good. To overcome this obstacle, the large-scale EU flagship proposal FuturICT intends to create a platform for accessing global human knowledge as a public good and instruments to increase our understanding of the information society by making use of ICT-based research. In this contribution, we outline the ethical justification for such an endeavor. We argue that the ethical issues raised by FuturICT research projects overlap substantially with many of the known ethical problems emerging from ICT use in general. By referring to the notion of Value Sensitive Design, we show for the example of privacy how this core value of responsible ICT can be protected in pursuing research in the framework of FuturICT. In addition, we discuss further ethical issues and outline the institutional design of FuturICT allowing to address them.

The analysis and resolution of ethical dilemmas.

PubMed

Macauley, Robert C

2013-01-01

Perhaps no other field of medicine illustrates the ethical dilemmas occasioned by the explosion of technology more than neurology. Many dilemmas which at first appear to be ethical, however, are actually biotechnical, informational, or interpersonal in nature. For those which are, indeed, ethical, a review of existing information and acquisition of additional data can often serve to identify the proper response. When the optimal course of action remains unclear, the comprehensive, structured approach described in this chapter is both philosophically rigorous and clinically relevant. It takes into account a variety of critical considerations - including rights, duties, consequences, virtues, and similar cases - while utilizing both inductive and deductive methods. The end result is the "least bad" of available options, or, at the very least, a practical response which preserves future options and avoids crucial mistakes. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of national ethics commissions in Finland.

PubMed

Halila, Ritva

2003-08-01

There are six national ethics commissions in Finland. The National Advisory Board on Research Ethics was first established in 1991, followed by the National Advisory Board on Biotechnology and the Board on Gene Technology in 1995. The National Advisory Board on Health Care Ethics was established in 1998, followed by its Sub-Committee on Medical Research Ethics in 1999. The Co-operation Group for Laboratory Animal Sciences was established in 2001. Only the Board on Gene Technology works as a national authority and gives binding opinions and recommendations about the use of genetically modified organisms. The Sub-Committee on Medical Research Ethics acts a national research ethics committee and gives opinions about research projects. Other advisory boards do not make legally binding decisions, but their expertise gives a lot of power to their opinions and statements. The commissions work in close collaboration with each other, having regular meetings. They arrange seminars and conferences, and share information with each other. The commissions also share duties and information in international collaboration. How the voice and opinions of these commissions is heard in society lies in the wide, multi-professional expertise of their members. Large commissions and wide expertise may make it difficult to find consensus in their opinions and statements, although wide expertise may, more than discussion in a small expert group, help to further process difficult ethical issues. Collaboration between different bodies is important in order to share duties, and also to add more emphasis to the statements and opinions where different bodies share interests. In our country, the interest that national commissions share is research ethics, where the advisory boards and their members have discharged collaborative activities for years.

Guide to radioactive waste management literature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houser, B.L.; Holoway, C.F.; Madewell, D.G.

Increased public concern about radioactive waste management has called attention to this aspect of the nuclear fuel cycle. Socio-economic planning and technical development are being undertaken to assure that such wastes will be managed safely. This Guide to Radioactive Waste Management Literature has been compiled to serve scientists, engineers, administrators, legislators, and private citizens by directing them to sources of information on various aspects of the subject. References were selected from about 6000 documents on waste management in the computerized information centers in Oak Ridge. The documents were selected, examined, indexed, and abstracted between 1966-1976 by several knowledgeable indexers, principallymore » at the Nuclear Safety Information Center. The selected references were further indexed and classified into 12 categories. Each category is discussed in enough detail to give some understandng of present technology in various phases of waste management and some appreciation of the attendant issues and problems. The bibliographic part of this guide exists in computerized form in the Health Physics Information System and is available through the Oak Ridge Information Center Complex for searching from remote terminals.« less

[ETHICAL CONFLICTS AT THE END OF LIFE FROM NURSE PERCEPTION].

PubMed

Calvo Rodríguez, Begoña; Berdial Cabal, Ignacio

2015-10-01

Current medicine tends to dehumanize the end of life process, which contributes to generate certain ethical conflict to nurse staff The major scientific datadas research. The four main ethical conflicts detected are: decisions making, communicating information, futile treatments and hydration and artificial feeding. The nurses suffer moral distress with ethical conflicts by the obligation of safeguard the dignity and rights of their patients. The lack of training and experience to treat ethical problems contribute to increase nurse disconfort.

Intervention Research with Youths at Elevated Risk for Suicide: Meeting the Ethical and Regulatory Challenges of Informed Consent and Assent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Cheryl A.; Kramer, Anne C.

2008-01-01

Intervention research with youths at elevated risk for suicidal behavior and suicide--a vulnerable and high risk population--presents investigators with numerous ethical challenges. This report specifically addresses those challenges involving the informed consent and assent process with parents/guardians and youths. The challenges are delineated…

Reengineering Biomedical Translational Research with Engineering Ethics.

PubMed

Sunderland, Mary E; Nayak, Rahul Uday

2015-08-01

It is widely accepted that translational research practitioners need to acquire special skills and knowledge that will enable them to anticipate, analyze, and manage a range of ethical issues. While there is a small but growing literature that addresses the ethics of translational research, there is a dearth of scholarship regarding how this might apply to engineers. In this paper we examine engineers as key translators and argue that they are well positioned to ask transformative ethical questions. Asking engineers to both broaden and deepen their consideration of ethics in their work, however, requires a shift in the way ethics is often portrayed and perceived in science and engineering communities. Rather than interpreting ethics as a roadblock to the success of translational research, we suggest that engineers should be encouraged to ask questions about the socio-ethical dimensions of their work. This requires expanding the conceptual framework of engineering beyond its traditional focus on "how" and "what" questions to also include "why" and "who" questions to facilitate the gathering of normative, socially-situated information. Empowering engineers to ask "why" and "who" questions should spur the development of technologies and practices that contribute to improving health outcomes.

Withholding differential risk information on legal consumer nicotine/tobacco products: The public health ethics of health information quarantines.

PubMed

Kozlowski, Lynn T; Sweanor, David

2016-06-01

The United States provides an example of a country with (a) legal tobacco/nicotine products (e.g., snus, other smokeless tobacco, cigarettes) differing greatly in risks to health and (b) respected health information websites that continue to omit or provide incorrect differential risk information. Concern for the principles of individual rights, health literacy, and personal autonomy (making decisions for oneself), which are key principles of public health ethics, has been countered by utilitarian arguments for the use of misleading or limited information to protect public health overall. We argue that omitting key health relevant information for current or prospective consumers represents a kind of quarantine of health-relevant information. As with disease quarantines, the coercive effects of quarantining information on differential risks need to be justified, not merely by fears of net negative public health effects, but by convincing evidence that such measures are actually warranted, that public health overall is in imminent danger and that the danger is sufficient to override principles of individual autonomy. Omitting such health-relevant information for consumers of such products effectively blindfolds them and impairs their making informed personal choices. Moral psychological issues that treat all tobacco/nicotine products similarly may also be influencing the reluctance to inform on differential risks. In countries where tobacco/nicotine products are legally sold and also differ greatly in disease risks compared to cigarettes (e.g., smokeless tobacco and vape), science-based, comprehensible, and actionable health information (consistent with health literacy principles) on differential risks should be available and only reconsidered if it is established that this information is causing losses to population health overall. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of the chief ethics officer in a physician's office.

PubMed

Guten, Gary N; Kohn, Harvey S; Zoltan, Donald J; Black, Brian B; Coran, David L; Schneider, John A; Pauers, William

2004-04-01

The unique role of the chief ethics officer in a sports medicine office is described and guided by the four principles of ethics, as well as the principles and codes of ethics of the American Medical Association, the International Sports Medicine Federation, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The chief ethics officer should understand and be conversant with these principles and these codes of medical ethics, and transmit this information in order to further patient goals, physician goals, and employee goals.

Ethics in the publication of studies on human visceral leishmaniasis in Brazilian periodicals.

PubMed

Malafaia, Guilherme; Rodrigues, Aline Sueli de Lima; Talvani, André

2011-02-01

To analyze ethical aspects of Brazilian articles on human visceral leishmaniasis, published after Resolution CNS 196/1996, and to analyze the policy on Brazilian periodicals on research ethics. An explanatory study with a bibliographical and documental nature was conducted. Selection of publications on research involving human beings since 1996 was performed in the SciELO Brazil database. Gaps associated with editorial policies on medical periodicals, based on information obtained from the "Instructions to authors" section of each periodical, were analyzed. While there were no articles on the compliance with ethical aspects in the first four-year period (from 1997 to 2000), 75% fulfilled at least one of the ethical requirements evaluated in the first year (2009) of a subsequent four-year period (from 2009 to 2012). A total of six out of 11 periodicals indicated that the information about ethical aspects should be mentioned in the body of the article. There were three periodicals that required a letter or document, informing about compliance with these aspects and signed by the author(s), to be sent; two that requested a copy of the document used to obtain the free and informed consent; one that clarified the need of a copy to authorize the approval by the Committee on Ethics in Research; and four in which no requirements of ethical aspects were found. There was an improvement in the description of compliance with ethical aspects found in articles. Standardization of ethical requirements for human research in Brazilian periodicals is suggested. This could promote compliance with the presuppositions of documents regulating human research.

American College of Emergency Physicians Ethics Manual.

PubMed

1991-10-01

Ethical concerns are a major part of the clinical practice of emergency medicine. The emergency physician must make hard choices, not only with regard to the scientific/technical aspects but also with regard to the moral aspects of caring for emergency patients. By the nature of the specialty, emergency physicians face ethical dilemmas often requiring prompt decisions with limited information. This manual identifies important moral principles and values in emergency medicine. The underlying assumption is that a knowledge of moral principles and ethical values helps the emergency physician make responsible moral choices. Neither the scientific nor the moral aspects of clinical decision making can be reduced to simple formulas. Nevertheless, decisions must be made. Emergency physicians should, therefore, be cognizant of the ethical principles that are important for emergency medicine, understand the process of ethical reasoning, and be capable of making rational moral decisions based on a stable framework of values.

Ethical Awareness and Ethical Orientation of Turkish Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gökçe, Asiye Toker

2013-01-01

This study inquires ethical evaluation of teachers, investigating their moral reasoning to ethical decision making, in Turkey. Specifically three hypotheses were tested: Overall ethical awareness of teachers is high; Teachers will identify reasons for ethical evaluation related to philosophical values such as justice, deontology, utilitarianism,…

The opportunities and ethics of big data: practical priorities for a national Council of Data Ethics.

PubMed

Varley-Winter, Olivia; Shah, Hetan

2016-12-28

In order to generate the gains that can come from analysing and linking big datasets, data holders need to consider the ethical frameworks, principles and applications that help to maintain public trust. In the USA, the National Science Foundation helped to set up a Council for Big Data, Ethics and Society, of which there is no equivalent in the UK. In November 2015, the Royal Statistical Society convened a workshop of 28 participants from government, academia and the private sector, and discussed the practical priorities that might be assisted by a new Council of Data Ethics in the UK. This article draws together the views from that meeting. Priorities for policy-makers and others include seeking a public mandate and informing the terms of the social contract for use of data; building professional competence and due diligence on data protection; appointment of champions who are competent to address public concerns; and transparency, across all dimensions. For government data, further priorities include improvements to data access, and development of data infrastructure. In conclusion, we support the establishment of a national Data Ethics Council, alongside wider and deeper engagement of the public to address data ethics dilemmas.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Ethical Grand Rounds: Teaching Ethics at the Point of Care.

PubMed

Airth-Kindree, Norah M M; Kirkhorn, Lee-Ellen C

2016-01-01

We offer an educational innovation called Ethical Grand Rounds (EGR) as a teaching strategy to enhance ethical decision-making. Nursing students participate in EGR-flexible ethical laboratories, where they take stands on ethical dilemmas, arguing for--or against--an ethical principle. This process provides the opportunity to move past normative ethics, that is, an ideal ethical stance in accord with ethical conduct codes, to applied ethics, what professional nurses would do in actual clinical practice, given the constraints that exist in contemporary care settings. EGR serves as a vehicle to translate "what ought to be" into "what is."

Surgical ethics and the challenge of surgical innovation.

PubMed

Angelos, Peter

2014-12-01

Surgical ethics as a specific discipline is relatively new to many. Surgical ethics focuses on the ethical issues that are particularly important to the care of surgical patients. Informed consent for surgical procedures, the level of responsibility that surgeons feel for their patients' outcomes, and the management of surgical innovation are specific issues that are important in surgical ethics and are different from other areas of medicine. The future of surgical progress is dependent on surgical innovation, yet the nature of surgical innovation raises specific concerns that challenge the professionalism of surgeons. These concerns will be considered in the following pages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical challenges in mental health research among internally displaced people: ethical theory and research implementation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Millions of people undergo displacement in the world. Internally displaced people (IDP) are especially vulnerable as they are not protected by special legislation in contrast to other migrants. Research conducted among IDPs must be correspondingly sensitive in dealing with ethical issues that may arise. Muslim IDPs in Puttalam district in the North-Western province of Sri Lanka were initially displaced from Northern Sri Lanka due to the conflict in 1991. In the backdrop of a study exploring the prevalence of common mental disorders among the IDPs, researchers encountered various ethical challenges. These included inter-related issues of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, confidentiality and informed consent, and how these were tailored in a culture-specific way to a population that has increased vulnerability. This paper analyses how these ethical issues were perceived, detected and managed by the researchers, and the role of ethics review committees in mental health research concerning IDPs. The relevance of guidelines and methodologies in the context of an atypical study population and the benefit versus risk potential of research for IDPs are also discussed. The limitations that were encountered while dealing with ethical challenges during the study are discussed. The concept of post-research ethical conduct audit is suggested to be considered as a potential step to minimize the exploitation of vulnerable populations such as IDPs in mental health research. PMID:23497333

Ethical challenges in mental health research among internally displaced people: ethical theory and research implementation.

PubMed

Siriwardhana, Chesmal; Adikari, Anushka; Jayaweera, Kaushalya; Sumathipala, Athula

2013-03-12

Millions of people undergo displacement in the world. Internally displaced people (IDP) are especially vulnerable as they are not protected by special legislation in contrast to other migrants. Research conducted among IDPs must be correspondingly sensitive in dealing with ethical issues that may arise. Muslim IDPs in Puttalam district in the North-Western province of Sri Lanka were initially displaced from Northern Sri Lanka due to the conflict in 1991. In the backdrop of a study exploring the prevalence of common mental disorders among the IDPs, researchers encountered various ethical challenges. These included inter-related issues of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, confidentiality and informed consent, and how these were tailored in a culture-specific way to a population that has increased vulnerability. This paper analyses how these ethical issues were perceived, detected and managed by the researchers, and the role of ethics review committees in mental health research concerning IDPs. The relevance of guidelines and methodologies in the context of an atypical study population and the benefit versus risk potential of research for IDPs are also discussed. The limitations that were encountered while dealing with ethical challenges during the study are discussed. The concept of post-research ethical conduct audit is suggested to be considered as a potential step to minimize the exploitation of vulnerable populations such as IDPs in mental health research.

Current state of ethics literature synthesis: a systematic review of reviews.

PubMed

Mertz, Marcel; Kahrass, Hannes; Strech, Daniel

2016-10-03

Modern standards for evidence-based decision making in clinical care and public health still rely solely on eminence-based input when it comes to normative ethical considerations. Manuals for clinical guideline development or health technology assessment (HTA) do not explain how to search, analyze, and synthesize relevant normative information in a systematic and transparent manner. In the scientific literature, however, systematic or semi-systematic reviews of ethics literature already exist, and scholarly debate on their opportunities and limitations has recently bloomed. A systematic review was performed of all existing systematic or semi-systematic reviews for normative ethics literature on medical topics. The study further assessed how these reviews report on their methods for search, selection, analysis, and synthesis of ethics literature. We identified 84 reviews published between 1997 and 2015 in 65 different journals and demonstrated an increasing publication rate for this type of review. While most reviews reported on different aspects of search and selection methods, reporting was much less explicit for aspects of analysis and synthesis methods: 31 % did not fulfill any criteria related to the reporting of analysis methods; for example, only 25 % of the reviews reported the ethical approach needed to analyze and synthesize normative information. While reviews of ethics literature are increasingly published, their reporting quality for analysis and synthesis of normative information should be improved. Guiding questions are: What was the applied ethical approach and technical procedure for identifying and extracting the relevant normative information units? What method and procedure was employed for synthesizing normative information? Experts and stakeholders from bioethics, HTA, guideline development, health care professionals, and patient organizations should work together to further develop this area of evidence-based health care.

Inadequacy of ethical conduct and reporting of stepped wedge cluster randomized trials: Results from a systematic review.

PubMed

Taljaard, Monica; Hemming, Karla; Shah, Lena; Giraudeau, Bruno; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Weijer, Charles

2017-08-01

Background/aims The use of the stepped wedge cluster randomized design is rapidly increasing. This design is commonly used to evaluate health policy and service delivery interventions. Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials have unique characteristics that complicate their ethical interpretation. The 2012 Ottawa Statement provides comprehensive guidance on the ethical design and conduct of cluster randomized trials, and the 2010 CONSORT extension for cluster randomized trials provides guidelines for reporting. Our aims were to assess the adequacy of the ethical conduct and reporting of stepped wedge trials to date, focusing on research ethics review and informed consent. Methods We conducted a systematic review of stepped wedge cluster randomized trials in health research published up to 2014 in English language journals. We extracted details of study intervention and data collection procedures, as well as reporting of research ethics review and informed consent. Two reviewers independently extracted data from each trial; discrepancies were resolved through discussion. We identified the presence of any research participants at the cluster level and the individual level. We assessed ethical conduct by tabulating reporting of research ethics review and informed consent against the presence of research participants. Results Of 32 identified stepped wedge trials, only 24 (75%) reported review by a research ethics committee, and only 16 (50%) reported informed consent from any research participants-yet, all trials included research participants at some level. In the subgroup of 20 trials with research participants at cluster level, only 4 (20%) reported informed consent from such participants; in 26 trials with individual-level research participants, only 15 (58%) reported their informed consent. Interventions (regardless of whether targeting cluster- or individual-level participants) were delivered at the group level in more than two-thirds of trials; nine trials (28

Evaluation of Terrorist Interest in Radioactive Wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McFee, J.N.; Langsted, J.M.; Young, M.E.

2006-07-01

Since September 11, 2001, intelligence gathered from Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, and the ensuing terrorist activities, indicates nuclear material security concerns are valid. This paper reviews available information on sealed radioactive sources thought to be of interest to terrorists, and then examines typical wastes generated during environmental management activities to compare their comparative 'attractiveness' for terrorist diversion. Sealed radioactive sources have been evaluated in numerous studies to assess their security and attractiveness for use as a terrorist weapon. The studies conclude that tens of thousands of curies in sealed radioactive sources are available for potential use in amore » terrorist attack. This risk is mitigated by international efforts to find lost and abandoned sources and bring them under adequate security. However, radioactive waste has not received the same level of scrutiny to ensure security. This paper summarizes the activity and nature of radioactive sources potentially available to international terrorists. The paper then estimates radiation doses from use of radioactive sources as well as typical environmental restoration or decontamination and decommissioning wastes in a radioactive dispersal device (RDD) attack. These calculated doses indicate that radioactive wastes are, as expected, much less of a health risk than radioactive sources. The difference in radiation doses from wastes used in an RDD are four to nine orders of magnitude less than from sealed sources. We then review the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) definition of 'dangerous source' in an adjusted comparison to common radioactive waste shipments generated in environmental management activities. The highest waste dispersion was found to meet only category 1-3.2 of the five step IAEA scale. A category '3' source by the IAEA standard 'is extremely unlikely, to cause injury to a person in the immediate vicinity'. The obvious conclusion of

Ethical Issues in Transnational Eye Banking.

PubMed

Martin, Dominique E; Kelly, Richard; Jones, Gary L A; Machin, Heather; Pollock, Graeme A

2017-02-01

To review ethical issues that may arise in the setting of transnational eye banking activities, such as when exporting or importing corneal tissue for transplantation. A principle-based normative analysis of potential common dilemmas in transnational eye banking activities was performed. Transnational activities in eye banking, like those in other fields involving procurement and use of medical products of human origin, may present a number of ethical issues for policy makers and professionals. Key ethical concerns include the potential impact of export or import activities on self-sufficiency of corneal tissue supply within exporting and importing countries; potential disclosure requirements when obtaining consent or authorization for ocular tissue donation when donations may be exported; and difficulties inherent in assuring equity in the allocation of tissues available for export and in establishing and respecting standards of safety and quality across different jurisdictions. Further analysis of specific ethical issues in eye banking is necessary to inform development of guidelines and other governance tools that will assist policy makers and professionals to support ethical practice.

Four Roles of Ethical Theory in Clinical Ethics Consultation.

PubMed

Magelssen, Morten; Pedersen, Reidar; Førde, Reidun

2016-09-01

When clinical ethics committee members discuss a complex ethical dilemma, what use do they have for normative ethical theories? Members without training in ethical theory may still contribute to a pointed and nuanced analysis. Nonetheless, the knowledge and use of ethical theories can play four important roles: aiding in the initial awareness and identification of the moral challenges, assisting in the analysis and argumentation, contributing to a sound process and dialogue, and inspiring an attitude of reflexivity. These four roles of ethical theory in clinical ethics consultation are described and their significance highlighted, while an example case is used as an illustration throughout.

The ethical framework for performing research with rare inherited neurometabolic disease patients.

PubMed

Giannuzzi, Viviana; Devlieger, Hugo; Margari, Lucia; Odlind, Viveca Lena; Ragab, Lamis; Bellettato, Cinzia Maria; D'Avanzo, Francesca; Lampe, Christina; Cassis, Linda; Cortès-Saladelafont, Elisenda; Cazorla, Ángels Garcia; Barić, Ivo; Cvitanović-Šojat, Ljerka; Fumić, Ksenija; Dali, Christine I; Bartoloni, Franco; Bonifazi, Fedele; Scarpa, Maurizio; Ceci, Adriana

2017-03-01

The need for performing clinical trials to develop well-studied and appropriate medicines for inherited neurometabolic disease patients faces ethical concerns mainly raising from four aspects: the diseases are rare; include young and very young patients; the neurological impairment may compromise the capability to provide 'consent'; and the genetic nature of the disease leads to further ethical implications. This work is intended to identify the ethical provisions applicable to clinical research involving these patients and to evaluate if these cover the ethical issues. Three searches have been performed on the European regulatory/legal framework, the literature and European Union-funded projects. The European legal framework offers a number of ethical provisions ruling the clinical research on paediatric, rare, inherited diseases with neurological symptoms. In the literature, relevant publications deal with informed consent, newborn genetic screenings, gene therapy and rights/interests of research participants. Additional information raised from European projects on sharing patients' data from different countries, the need to fill the gap of the regulatory framework and to improve information to stakeholders and patients/families. Several recommendations and guidelines on ethical aspects are applicable to the inherited neurometabolic disease research in Europe, even though they suffer from the lack of a common ethical approach. What is Known: • When planning and conducting clinical trials, sponsors and researchers know that clinical trials are to be performed according to well-established ethical rules, and patients should be aware about their rights. • In the cases of paediatric patients, vulnerable patients unable to provide consent, genetic diseases' further rules apply. What is New: • This work discusses which ethical rules apply to ensure protection of patient's rights if all the above-mentioned features coexist. • This work shows available data and

Exploring perceptions and experiences of Bolivian health researchers with research ethics.

PubMed

Sullivan, Sarah; Aalborg, Annette; Basagoitia, Armando; Cortes, Jacqueline; Lanza, Oscar; Schwind, Jessica S

2015-04-01

In Bolivia, there is increasing interest in incorporating research ethics into study procedures, but there have been inconsistent application of research ethics practices. Minimal data exist regarding the experiences of researchers concerning the ethical conduct of research. A cross-sectional study was administered to Bolivian health leaders with research experience (n = 82) to document their knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of research ethics committees and infrastructure support for research ethics. Results showed that 16% of respondents reported not using ethical guidelines to conduct their research and 66% indicated their institutions did not consistently require ethics approval for research. Barriers and facilitators to incorporate research ethics into practice were outlined. These findings will help inform a comprehensive rights-based research ethics education program in Bolivia. © The Author(s) 2015.

NRC`s proposed rulemaking on the documentation and reporting of low-level radioactive waste shipment manifest information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lahs, W.R.; Haisfield, M.F.

1991-12-31

Since the 1982 promulgation of regulations for the land disposal of low-level radioactive waste (LLW), requirements have been in place to control transfers of LLW intended for disposal at licensed land disposal facilities. These requirements established a manifest tracking system and defined processes to control transfers of LLW intended for disposal at a land disposal facility. Because the regulations did not specify the format for the LLW shipment manifests, it was not unexpected that the two operators of the three currently operating disposal sites should each have developed their own manifest forms. The forms have many similarities and the collectedmore » information, in many cases, is identical; however, these manifests incorporate unique operator preferences and also reflect the needs of the Agreement State regulatory authority in the States where the disposal sites are located. Since Agreement State regulations must be compatible with, but need not always be identical to, those of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the possibility of a proliferation of different manifest forms containing variations in collected information could be envisioned. If these manifests were also to serve a shipping paper purpose, effective integration of the Department of Transportations` (DOT) requirements would also have to be addressed. This wide diversity in uses of manifest information by Federal and State regulatory authorities, other State or Compact entities, and disposal site operators, suggested a single consolidated approach to develop a uniform manifest format with a baseline information content and to define recordkeeping requirements. The NRC, in 1989, had embarked on a rulemaking activity to establish a base set of manifest information needs for regulatory purposes. In response to requests from State and Regional Compact organizations who are attempting to design, develop and operate LLW disposal facilities, and with the general support of Agreement State

Christian Ethics. A Teacher Information Bulletin for Division IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saskatchewan Dept. of Education, Regina.

Listed are print and audiovisual materials that support the "Curriculum Guide for Division IV: Christian Ethics" intended for use in grades 10, 11, and 12. The course is designed to help students articulate, reflect upon, and understand what they believe and practice. Cited in this resource manual are textbooks, teacher's guides,…

Food additives: an ethical evaluation.

PubMed

Mepham, Ben

2011-01-01

Food additives are an integral part of the modern food system, but opinion polls showing most Europeans have worries about them imply an urgent need for ethical analysis of their use. The existing literature on food ethics, safety assessment and animal testing. Food additives provide certain advantages in terms of many people's lifestyles. There are disagreements about the appropriate application of the precautionary principle and of the value and ethical validity of animal tests in assessing human safety. Most consumers have a poor understanding of the relative benefits and risks of additives, but concerns over food safety and animal testing remain high. Examining the impacts of food additives on consumer sovereignty, consumer health and on animals used in safety testing should allow a more informed debate about their appropriate uses.

Ethical problems in the relationship between health and work.

PubMed

Berlinguer, G; Falzi, G; Figa-Talamanca, I

1996-01-01

Throughout history, the relationship between employers and workers has been subject to the equilibrium of power, to legislative norms, to ethical considerations, and more recently to scientific knowledge. The authors examine the ethical conflicts that arise from the application of scientific knowledge to preventive health policies in the workplace. In particular, they discuss the ethical conflicts in the application of screening practices, in the setting of "allowable limits" of harmful work exposures, and in the right of workers to be informed about work hazards. Ethical problems are also created by conflicting interests in the protection of the environment, the health of the general public, and the health of the working population, and by conflicting interests among workers, and even within the individual worker, as in the case of "fetal protection" policies. The authors emphasize the positive use of scientific information and respect for human dignity in resolving these conflicts.

Graduate Ethics Curricula for Future Geospatial Technology Professionals (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, D. J.; Dibiase, D.; Harvey, F.; Solem, M.

2009-12-01

Professionalism in today's rapidly-growing, multidisciplinary geographic information science field (e.g., geographic information systems or GIS, remote sensing, cartography, quantitative spatial analysis), now involves a commitment to ethical practice as informed by a more sophisticated understanding of the ethical implications of geographic technologies. The lack of privacy introduced by mobile mapping devices, the use of GIS for military and surveillance purposes, the appropriate use of data collected using these technologies for policy decisions (especially for conservation and sustainability) and general consequences of inequities that arise through biased access to geospatial tools and derived data all continue to be challenging issues and topics of deep concern for many. Students and professionals working with GIS and related technologies should develop a sound grasp of these issues and a thorough comprehension of the concerns impacting their use and development in today's world. However, while most people agree that ethics matters for GIS, we often have difficulty putting ethical issues into practice. An ongoing project supported by NSF seeks to bridge this gap by providing a sound basis for future ethical consideration of a variety of issues. A model seminar curriculum is under development by a team of geographic information science and technology (GIS&T) researchers and professional ethicists, along with protocols for course evaluations. In the curricula students first investigate the nature of professions in general and the characteristics of a GIS&T profession in particular. They hone moral reasoning skills through methodical analyses of case studies in relation to various GIS Code of Ethics and Rules of Conduct. They learn to unveil the "moral ecologies" of a profession through actual interviews with real practitioners in the field. Assignments thus far include readings, class discussions, practitioner interviews, and preparations of original case

Do editorial policies support ethical research? A thematic text analysis of author instructions in psychiatry journals.

PubMed

Strech, Daniel; Metz, Courtney; Knüppel, Hannes

2014-01-01

According to the Declaration of Helsinki and other guidelines, clinical studies should be approved by a research ethics committee and seek valid informed consent from the participants. Editors of medical journals are encouraged by the ICMJE and COPE to include requirements for these principles in the journal's instructions for authors. This study assessed the editorial policies of psychiatry journals regarding ethics review and informed consent. The information given on ethics review and informed consent and the mentioning of the ICMJE and COPE recommendations were assessed within author's instructions and online submission procedures of all 123 eligible psychiatry journals. While 54% and 58% of editorial policies required ethics review and informed consent, only 14% and 19% demanded the reporting of these issues in the manuscript. The TOP-10 psychiatry journals (ranked by impact factor) performed similarly in this regard. Only every second psychiatry journal adheres to the ICMJE's recommendation to inform authors about requirements for informed consent and ethics review. Furthermore, we argue that even the ICMJE's recommendations in this regard are insufficient, at least for ethically challenging clinical trials. At the same time, ideal scientific design sometimes even needs to be compromised for ethical reasons. We suggest that features of clinical studies that make them morally controversial, but not necessarily unethical, are analogous to methodological limitations and should thus be reported explicitly. Editorial policies as well as reporting guidelines such as CONSORT should be extended to support a meaningful reporting of ethical research.

Is there room for ethics within bioinformatics education?

PubMed

Taneri, Bahar

2011-07-01

When bioinformatics education is considered, several issues are addressed. At the undergraduate level, the main issue revolves around conveying information from two main and different fields: biology and computer science. At the graduate level, the main issue is bridging the gap between biology students and computer science students. However, there is an educational component that is rarely addressed within the context of bioinformatics education: the ethics component. Here, a different perspective is provided on bioinformatics education, and the current status of ethics is analyzed within the existing bioinformatics programs. Analysis of the existing undergraduate and graduate programs, in both Europe and the United States, reveals the minimal attention given to ethics within bioinformatics education. Given that bioinformaticians speedily and effectively shape the biomedical sciences and hence their implications for society, here redesigning of the bioinformatics curricula is suggested in order to integrate the necessary ethics education. Unique ethical problems awaiting bioinformaticians and bioinformatics ethics as a separate field of study are discussed. In addition, a template for an "Ethics in Bioinformatics" course is provided.

Heritage ethics: Toward a thicker account of nursing ethics.

PubMed

Fowler, Marsha D

2016-02-01

The key to understanding the moral identity of modern nursing and the distinctiveness of nursing ethics resides in a deeper examination of the extensive nursing ethics literature and history from the late 1800s to the mid 1960s, that is, prior to the "bioethics revolution". There is a distinctive nursing ethics, but one that falls outside both biomedical and bioethics and is larger than either. Were, there a greater corpus of research on nursing's heritage ethics it would decidedly recondition the entire argument about a distinctive nursing ethics. It would also provide a thicker account of nursing ethics than has been afforded thus far. Such research is dependent upon identifying, locating, accessing and, more importantly, sharing these resources. A number of important heritage ethics sources are identified so that researchers might better locate them. In addition, a bibliography of heritage ethics textbooks and a transcript of the earliest known journal article on nursing ethics in the US are provided. © The Author(s) 2015.

Teaching Business Ethics or Teaching Business Ethically?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stablein, Ralph

2003-01-01

Notes that one of the most important contexts for ethical decision-making is the nature and operation of "contemporary capitalisms." Suggests that rather than issuing a call for teaching business ethics, the author emphasizes the need for more ethical business teaching. (SG)

Decoding Environmental Processes Using Radioactive Isotopes for the Post-Radioactive Contamination Recovery Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasumiishi, Misa; Nishimura, Taku; Osawa, Kazutoshi; Renschler, Chris

2017-04-01

The continual monitoring of environmental radioactive levels in Fukushima, Japan following the nuclear plant accident in March 2011 provides our society with valuable information in two ways. First, the collected data can be used as an indicator to assess the progress of decontamination efforts. Secondly, the collected data also can be used to understand the behavior of radioactive isotopes in the environment which leads to further understanding of the landform processes. These two aspects are inseparable for us to understand the effects of radioactive contamination in a dynamic environmental system. During the summer of 2016, 27 soil core samples were collected on a farmer's land (rice paddies and forest) in Fukushima, about 20 km northwest of the nuclear plant. Each core was divided into 2.0 - 3.0 cm slices for the Cs-134, Cs-137, and I-131 level measurement. The collected data is being analyzed from multiple perspectives: temporal, spatial, and geophysical. In the forest area, even on the same hillslope, multiple soil types and horizon depths were observed which indicates the challenges in assessing the subsurface radioactive isotope movements. It appears that although highly humic soils show higher or about the same level of radioactivity in the surface layers, as the depth increased, the radioactivity decreased more in those samples compared with more sandy soils. With regard to the direction a slope faces and the sampling altitudes, the correlation between those attributes and radioactivity levels is inconclusive at this moment. The altitude might have affected the fallout level on a single hillslope-basis. However, to determine the correlation, further sampling and the detailed analysis of vegetation and topography might be necessary. Where the surface soil was scraped and new soil was brought in, former rice paddy surface layers did show three-magnitude levels lower of radioactivity in the top layer when compared with forest soils. At the foot of forest

Law and ethics in conflict over confidentiality?

PubMed

Dickens, B M; Cook, R J

2000-09-01

Ethical principles that require the preservation of patients' confidential information are reinforced by principles found in several areas of law, such as law on contracts, negligence, defamation and fiduciary duty. However, laws sometimes compel disclosures of medical confidences, and more often may justify or excuse disclosures. Legally contentious issues concern patients' confidences regarding possible unlawful conduct, such as pregnancy termination, and the risk of spread of HIV and other infections. This article reviews the various legal bases of the duty of confidentiality, and legal challenges to the ethical obligation of non-disclosure. It addresses the justifications and limits of exchange of patients' health information among healthcare professionals and trainees, and considers legally recognized limits of confidential duties, and the scope of legitimate disclosure. An underlying theme is how to determine whether physicians are ethically justified in employing the discretion the law sometimes affords them to breach patients' expectations of confidentiality.

From reactive to proactive: developing a valid clinical ethics needs assessment survey to support ethics program strategic planning (part 1 of 2).

PubMed

Frolic, Andrea; Jennings, Barb; Seidlitz, Wendy; Andreychuk, Sandy; Djuric-Paulin, Angela; Flaherty, Barb; Peace, Donna

2013-03-01

As ethics committees and programs become integrated into the "usual business" of healthcare organizations, they are likely to face the predicament of responding to greater demands for service and higher expectations, without an influx of additional resources. This situation demands that ethics committees and programs allocate their scarce resources (including their time, skills and funds) strategically, rather than lurching from one ad hoc request to another; finding ways to maximize the effectiveness, efficiency, impact and quality of ethics services is essential in today's competitive environment. How can Hospital Ethics Committees (HECs) begin the process of strategic priority-setting to ensure they are delivering services where and how they are most needed? This paper describes the creation of the Clinical Ethics Needs Assessment Survey (CENAS) as a tool to understand interprofessional staff perceptions of the organization's ethical climate, challenging ethical issues and educational priorities. The CENAS was designed to support informed resource allocation and advocacy by HECs. By sharing our process of developing and validating this ethics needs assessment survey we hope to enable strategic priority-setting in other resource-strapped ethics programs, and to empower HECs to shift their focus to more proactive, quality-focused initiatives.

Ethics review in compassionate use.

PubMed

Borysowski, Jan; Ehni, Hans-Jörg; Górski, Andrzej

2017-07-24

Compassionate use is the use of unapproved drugs outside of clinical trials. So far, compassionate use regulations have been introduced in the US, Canada, many European countries, Australia and Brazil, and treatment on a compassionate use basis may be performed in Japan and China. However, there are important differences between relevant regulations in individual countries, particularly that approval by a research ethics committee (institutional review board) is a requirement for compassionate use in some countries (e.g. the US, Spain, and Italy), but not in others (e.g. Canada, the UK, France, and Germany). The main objective of this article is to present aspects of compassionate use that are important for the discussion of the role of research ethics committees in the review of compassionate use. These aspects include the nature of compassionate use, potential risks to patients associated with the use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy, informed consent, physicians' qualifications, and patient selection criteria. Our analysis indicates that the arguments for mandatory review substantially outweigh the arguments to the contrary. Approval by a research ethics committee should be obligatory for compassionate use. The principal argument against mandatory ethical review of compassionate use is that it is primarily a kind of treatment rather than biomedical research. Nonetheless, compassionate use is different from standard clinical care and should be subject to review by research ethics committees. First, in practice, compassionate use often involves significant research aspects. Second, it is based on unapproved drugs with unproven safety and efficacy. Obtaining informed consent from patients seeking access to unapproved drugs on a compassionate use basis may also be difficult. Other important problems include the qualifications of the physician who is to perform treatment, and patient selection criteria.

[Acute care nurses’ ethical reasoning: a thematic analysis].

PubMed

Barandun Schäfer, Ursi; Ulrich, Anja; Meyer-Zehnder, Barbara; Frei, Irena Anna

2015-12-01

In the day-to-day course of nursing, ethical issues are being openly articulated to a growing extent. However, nurses only rarely systematically address these issues. This subject was explored in interviews with professionals who have a particular focus on ethics. Gain input for further developing the skills of nursing staff in ethical reasoning. In two focus groups and four individual interviews, we questioned 14 professionals, including nine nurses, who have a special interest in ethics. Nurses find it ethically problematic when the wishes of patients are not respected or something is forced on them, creating the impression that the care being given is exacerbating rather than alleviating the patient’s suffering. These problematic aspects are often overlooked because the consequences of the action in question are not immediately apparent. Ethical issues in nursing are often addressed in informal, non-systematic discussions among nursing staff. Nurses actively and confidently engage in discussions on treatment goals, and the teamwork with doctors is usually experienced as being based on mutual respect and partnership. The inherent hierarchical role differences between nursing and medical staff nevertheless manifest in ethical issues. Through the practical application of ethical reasoning in day-to-day nursing, structured discussions of the ethical aspects of cases and dedicated further education, nurses should learn to better recognise ethical issues in nursing and effectively analyse them and find solutions.

Ethical considerations in placebo-controlled randomised clinical trials.

PubMed

Kaufman, Kenneth R

2015-06-01

Ethical considerations in standard medical care and clinical research are underpinnings to quality medicine. Similarly, the placebo-controlled double-blind randomised clinical trial is the gold standard for medical research and fundamental to the development of evidence-based medicine. Researchers and clinicians are challenged by ethical concerns in the informed consent with a need to maximise understanding and minimise therapeutic misconception. This editorial expands on themes raised by Chen et al 's article 'Disclosing the Potential Impact of Placebo Controls in Antidepressant Trials' and serves as an invitation for further submissions to BJPsych Open on ethics, research design and informed consent. None. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

Involving citizens in the ethics of biobank research: informing institutional policy through structured public deliberation.

PubMed

O'Doherty, Kieran C; Hawkins, Alice K; Burgess, Michael M

2012-11-01

This paper reports on the design, implementation, and results of a structured public deliberation on human tissue biobanking conducted in Vancouver, Canada, in 2009. This study builds on previous work on the use of deliberative democratic principles and methods to engage publics on the social and ethical implications of human tissue biobanking. In a significant refinement of methods, we focus on providing public input to institutional practice and governance of biobanks using a tailored workbook structure to guide participants' discussion. Our focus is on the local context and practices of a particular institution, the BC BioLibrary. However, elements of both the methodological innovations and the ethical guidance implied by our findings are generalisable for biobanking internationally. Recommendations from the deliberative forum include issues of informed consent, privacy protections, collection of biospecimens, governance of biobanks, and how to manage the process of introduction between biobanks and potential donors. Notable findings include public support for research use of anonymised un-consented tissue samples when these come from archived collections, but lack of support when they are collected prospectively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethical codes for attorneys: a brief introduction.

PubMed

Zarkowski, P

1997-01-01

Ethical standards for lawyers are contained in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (which lays out both "shall/shall not" rules and "may" suggestions in nine broad areas) and the Model Code of Professional Responsibility (which covers essentially the same topic areas but offers more detailed commentary). Topics included in the Rules are the client-lawyer relationship, the attorney's role as an advocate and counselor, law firms and associations, public service, transactions with individuals other than clients and information about legal services including advertising, firm names, and letterhead. The American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct is organized around the five ethical principles of patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity. There are substantial similarities in intent between the ethical standards of dentists and lawyers; there are also differences.

[Some ethical considerations, especially identity, during xenotransplantation].

PubMed

Cüer, P

2000-05-01

Provided that a pandemic due to retroviruses or prions eventually transmitted by animals is under control, in accordance with the fundamental ethical rule to serve the best interest of the patient, any organ xenotransplantation raises an important ethical dilemma: how to deliver proper and adapted information to the patient on the preservation of his identity. Xenotransplantation of any part of the brain seems to us unethical.

Using Geographic Information Systems to Determine Site Suitability for a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility.

PubMed

Wilson, Charles A; Matthews, Kennith; Pulsipher, Allan; Wang, Wei-Hsung

2016-02-01

Radioactive waste is an inevitable product of using radioactive material in education and research activities, medical applications, energy generation, and weapons production. Low-level radioactive waste (LLW) makes up a majority of the radioactive waste produced in the United States. In 2010, over two million cubic feet of LLW were shipped to disposal sites. Despite efforts from several states and compacts as well as from private industry, the options for proper disposal of LLW remain limited. New methods for quickly identifying potential storage locations could alleviate current challenges and eventually provide additional sites and allow for adequate regional disposal of LLW. Furthermore, these methods need to be designed so that they are easily communicated to the public. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based method was developed to determine suitability of potential LLW disposal (or storage) sites. Criteria and other parameters of suitability were based on the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) requirements as well as supporting literature and reports. The resultant method was used to assess areas suitable for further evaluation as prospective disposal sites in Louisiana. Criteria were derived from the 10 minimum requirements in 10 CFR Part 61.50, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Guide 0902, and studies at existing disposal sites. A suitability formula was developed permitting the use of weighting factors and normalization of all criteria. Data were compiled into GIS data sets and analyzed on a cell grid of approximately 14,000 cells (covering 181,300 square kilometers) using the suitability formula. Requirements were analyzed for each cell using multiple criteria/sub-criteria as well as surrogates for unavailable datasets. Additional criteria were also added when appropriate. The method designed in this project proved to be sufficient for initial screening tests in determining the most suitable areas for prospective disposal (or storage

Towards a specific approach to education in dental ethics: a proposal for organising the topics of biomedical ethics for dental education.

PubMed

Gorkey, Sefik; Guven, Tolga; Sert, Gurkan

2012-01-01

Understanding dental ethics as a field separate from its much better known counterpart, medical ethics, is a relatively new, but necessary approach in bioethics. This need is particularly felt in dental education and establishing a curriculum specifically for dental ethics is a challenging task. Although certain topics such as informed consent and patient rights can be considered to be of equal importance in both fields, a number of ethical issues in dental practice are only remotely-if at all-relevant for medical practice. Therefore, any sound approach to education in dental ethics has to recognise the unique aspects of dental practice in order to meet the needs of dental students and prepare them for the ethical challenges they may face during their professional practice. With this goal in mind, this paper examines the approach of the authors to dental ethics education and proposes a system to organise the topics of biomedical ethics for dental education. While the authors' perspective is based on their experience in Turkey, the proposed system of classification is not a rigid one; it is open to interpretation in other contexts with different social, cultural and professional expectations. Therefore, the paper also aims to inspire discussion on the development of an ideal dental ethics curriculum at an international level.

Can Neuroscience Contribute to Practical Ethics? A Critical Review and Discussion of the Methodological and Translational Challenges of the Neuroscience of Ethics.

PubMed

Racine, Eric; Dubljević, Veljko; Jox, Ralf J; Baertschi, Bernard; Christensen, Julia F; Farisco, Michele; Jotterand, Fabrice; Kahane, Guy; Müller, Sabine

2017-06-01

Neuroethics is an interdisciplinary field that arose in response to novel ethical challenges posed by advances in neuroscience. Historically, neuroethics has provided an opportunity to synergize different disciplines, notably proposing a two-way dialogue between an 'ethics of neuroscience' and a 'neuroscience of ethics'. However, questions surface as to whether a 'neuroscience of ethics' is a useful and unified branch of research and whether it can actually inform or lead to theoretical insights and transferable practical knowledge to help resolve ethical questions. In this article, we examine why the neuroscience of ethics is a promising area of research and summarize what we have learned so far regarding its most promising goals and contributions. We then review some of the key methodological challenges which may have hindered the use of results generated thus far by the neuroscience of ethics. Strategies are suggested to address these challenges and improve the quality of research and increase neuroscience's usefulness for applied ethics and society at large. Finally, we reflect on potential outcomes of a neuroscience of ethics and discuss the different strategies that could be used to support knowledge transfer to help different stakeholders integrate knowledge from the neuroscience of ethics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Virtue vs utility: Alternative foundations for computer ethics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Artz, J.M.

1994-12-31

Ethical decisions within the field of computers and information systems are made at two levels by two distinctly different groups of people. At the level of general principles, ethical issues are debated by academics and industry representatives in an attempt to decide what is proper behavior on issues such as hacking, privacy, and copying software. At another level, that of particular situations, individuals make ethical decisions regarding what is good and proper for them in their particular situation. They may use the general rules provided by the experts or they may decide that these rules do not apply in theirmore » particular situation. Currently, the literature on computer ethics provides some opinions regarding the general rules, and some guidance for developing further general rules. What is missing is guidance for individuals making ethical decisions in particular situations. For the past two hundred years, ethics has been dominated by conduct based ethical theories such as utilitarianism which attempt to describe how people must be behave in order to be moral individuals. Recently, weaknesses in conduct based approaches such as utilitarianism have led moral philosophers to reexamine character based ethical theories such as virtue ethics which dates back to the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. This paper will compare utilitarianism and virtue ethics with respect to the foundations they provide for computer ethics. It will be argued that the very nature of computer ethics and the need to provide guidance to individuals making particular moral decisions points to the ethics of virtue as a superior philosophical foundation for computer ethics. The paper will conclude with the implications of this position for researchers, teachers and writers within the field of computer ethics.« less

Law, ethics, and the clinical neurologist.

PubMed

Nora, Lois Margaret

2013-01-01

There is dynamic interplay between the disciplines of law and ethics, and the result is often laws and regulation that impact the practice of clinical neurology. This chapter explores how the disciplines of law and ethics inform and intersect with each other, and how resulting law impacts the everyday work of the clinical neurologist. Examples of how the core bioethical principles of nonmaleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, and justice are manifest in legislative, common, and administrative laws are presented. Examples of how these laws, in turn, impact the practice of neurology through protection of patient privacy, the avoidance of conflict of interest, and informed consent and other issues are offered. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioral Ethics and Teaching Ethical Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drumwright, Minette; Prentice, Robert; Biasucci, Cara

2015-01-01

Business education often renders students less likely to act ethically. An infusion of liberal learning in the form of behavioral ethics could improve this situation by prompting students to develop higher levels of professionalism that encompass ethics, social responsibility, self-critical reflection, and personal accountability. More…

(The Ethics of) Teaching Science and Ethics: A Collaborative Proposal.

PubMed

Kabasenche, William P

2014-12-01

I offer a normative argument for a collaborative approach to teaching ethical issues in the sciences. Teaching science ethics requires expertise in at least two knowledge domains-the relevant science(s) and philosophical ethics. Accomplishing the aims of ethics education, while ensuring that science ethics discussions remain grounded in the best empirical science, can generally best be done through collaboration between a scientist and an ethicist. Ethics as a discipline is in danger of being misrepresented or distorted if presented by someone who lacks appropriate disciplinary training and experience. While there are exceptions, I take philosophy to be the most appropriate disciplinary domain in which to gain training in ethics teaching. Science students, who must be prepared to engage with many science ethics issues, are poorly served if their education includes a misrepresentation of ethics or specific issues. Students are less well prepared to engage specific issues in science ethics if they lack an appreciation of the resources the discipline of ethics provides. My collaborative proposal looks at a variety of ways scientists and ethicists might collaborate in the classroom to foster good science ethics education.

Expertise, Ethics Expertise, and Clinical Ethics Consultation: Achieving Terminological Clarity

PubMed Central

Iltis, Ana S.; Sheehan, Mark

2016-01-01

The language of ethics expertise has become particularly important in bioethics in light of efforts to establish the value of the clinical ethics consultation (CEC), to specify who is qualified to function as a clinical ethics consultant, and to characterize how one should evaluate whether or not a person is so qualified. Supporters and skeptics about the possibility of ethics expertise use the language of ethics expertise in ways that reflect competing views about what ethics expertise entails. We argue for clarity in understanding the nature of expertise and ethics expertise. To be an ethics expert, we argue, is to be an expert in knowing what ought to be done. Any attempt to articulate expertise with respect to knowing what ought to be done must include an account of ethics that specifies the nature of moral truth and the means by which we access this truth or a theoretical account of ethics such that expertise in another domain is linked to knowing or being better at judging what ought to be done and the standards by which this “knowing” or “being better at judging” is determined. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our analysis for the literature on ethics expertise in CEC. We do think that there are clear domains in which a clinical ethics consultant might be expert but we are skeptical about the possibility that this includes ethics expertise. Clinical ethics consultants should not be referred to as ethics experts. PMID:27256848

Reasons Preventing Teachers from Acting within the Framework of Ethical Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dag, Nilgün; Arslantas, Halis Adnan

2015-01-01

This study aims at putting forth the reasons preventing teachers from acting ethically, acting within the framework of ethical principles and having an ethical tendency. This study featuring a qualitative research model taking as a basis the case study approach followed a path of selecting people that can be a rich source of information for…

Ethics in Science.

PubMed

Sharma, Om P

2015-09-01

Ethics are a set of moral principles and values a civilized society follows. Doing science with principles of ethics is the bedrock of scientific activity. The society trusts that the results and the projected outcome of any scientific activity is based on an honest and conscientious attempt by the scientific community. However, during the last few decades, there has been an explosion of knowledge and the advent of digital age. We can access the publications of competitors with just a "click". The evaluation parameters have evolved a lot and are based on impact factors, h-index and citations. There is a general feeling that the scientific community is under a lot of pressure for fulfilling the criteria for upward growth and even retention of the positions held. The noble profession of scientific research and academics has been marred by the temptation to falsify and fabricate data, plagiarism and other unethical practices. Broadly speaking, the breach of ethics involves: plagiarism, falsification of data, redundant (duplicate) publication, drawing far-fetched conclusions without hard data, for early publicity, gift authorship (receiving as well as giving), not giving sufficient attention and consideration to scholars and post-docs as per the norms, self promotion at the cost of team-members, treating colleagues (overall all juniors) in a feudal way and Machiavellianism (cunningness and duplicity in general conduct and push to positions of power and pelf). Misconduct in Indian academics and science is also under a lot of focus. It is important and urgent that science, engineering, and health departments and institutions in our country have in place systems for education and training in pursuit of science with ethics by sound and professional courses in Responsible Conduct of Research. All research and academic institution must have the Office of Ethics for information, guidelines, training and professional oversight of conduct of research with the ethos and ethics

Ethical Presence in the Psychoanalytic Encounter and the Role of Apology.

PubMed

Weiss, Micha

2018-03-01

This paper discusses aspects of ethical presence in psychoanalysis, and the possible use of apology in the therapeutic process. The author roughly delineates two periods in the history of psychoanalysis regarding the ethical dimension-the early classical period which is influenced by Freud's ethics of honesty, which gradually evolves towards the more recent intersubjectively-influenced period, necessitating the assimilation of an ethics of relationships. It is suggested that explicit theorizing of the ethical dimension into psychoanalysis offers added value to its effectiveness, and a framework is presented for combining relational, intersubjectively informed ethical dialogue, with contributions of classical technique, enriching the therapeutic potential of psychoanalytic work.

Ethical guidance in the era of managed care: an analysis of the American College of Healthcare Executives' Code of Ethics.

PubMed

Higgins, W

2000-01-01

Market competition and the rise of managed care are transforming the healthcare system from a physician-dominated cottage industry into a manager-dominated corporate enterprise. The managed care revolution is also undermining the safe-guards offered by medical ethics and raising serious public concerns. These trends highlight the growing importance of ethical standards for managers. The most comprehensive ethical guidance for health service managers is contained in the American College of Healthcare Executives' (ACHE) Code of Ethics. An analysis of the ACHE Code suggests that it does not adequately address several ethical concerns associated with managed care. The ACHE may wish to develop a supplemental statement regarding ethical issues in managed care. A supplemental statement that provides more specific guidance in the areas of financial incentives to reduce utilization, social mission, consumer/patient information, and the health service manager's responsibility to patients could be extremely valuable in today's complex and rapidly changing environment. More specific ethical guidelines would not ensure individual or organizational compliance. However, they would provide professional standards that could guide decision making and help managers evaluate performance in managed care settings.

Ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses.

PubMed

da Luz, Kely Regina; Vargas, Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira; Schmidtt, Pablo Henrique; Barlem, Edison Luiz Devos; Tomaschewski-Barlem, Jamila Geri; da Rosa, Luciana Martins

2015-01-01

To know the ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses. Descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach, performed in inpatient units and in chemotherapy out-patients units that provide assistance to oncological patients in two capitals in the South region of Brazil. Eighteen nurses participated in this study, selected by snowball sampling type. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were carried out, which were recorded and transcribed, and then analyzed by thematic analysis. Two categories were established: when informing or not becomes a dilemma - showing the main difficulties related to oncological treatment information regarding health staff, health system, and infrastructure; to invest or not - dilemmas related to finitude - showing situations of dilemmas related to pain and confrontation with finitude. For the effective confrontation of the ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses to occur, it is important to invest in the training of these professionals, preparing them in an ethical and human way to act as lawyers of the patient with cancer, in a context of dilemmas related mainly to the possibility of finitude.

Ethical, legal, and social implications of incorporating genomic information into electronic health records.

PubMed

Hazin, Ribhi; Brothers, Kyle B; Malin, Bradley A; Koenig, Barbara A; Sanderson, Saskia C; Rothstein, Mark A; Williams, Marc S; Clayton, Ellen W; Kullo, Iftikhar J

2013-10-01

The inclusion of genomic data in the electronic health record raises important ethical, legal, and social issues. In this article, we highlight these challenges and discuss potential solutions. We provide a brief background on the current state of electronic health records in the context of genomic medicine, discuss the importance of equitable access to genome-enabled electronic health records, and consider the potential use of electronic health records for improving genomic literacy in patients and providers. We highlight the importance of privacy, access, and security, and of determining which genomic information is included in the electronic health record. Finally, we discuss the challenges of reporting incidental findings, storing and reinterpreting genomic data, and nondocumentation and duty to warn family members at potential genetic risk.

Modeling Medical Ethics through Intelligent Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, José; Miranda, Miguel; Abelha, António; Neves, José; Neves, João

The amount of research using health information has increased dramatically over the last past years. Indeed, a significative number of healthcare institutions have extensive Electronic Health Records (EHR), collected over several years for clinical and teaching purposes, but are uncertain as to the proper circumstances in which to use them to improve the delivery of care to the ones in need. Research Ethics Boards in Portugal and elsewhere in the world are grappling with these issues, but lack clear guidance regarding their role in the creation of and access to EHRs. However, we feel we have an effective way to handle Medical Ethics if we look to the problem under a structured and more rational way. Indeed, we felt that physicians were not aware of the relevance of the subject in their pre-clinical years, but their interest increase when they were exposed to patients. On the other hand, once EHRs are stored in machines, we also felt that we had to find a way to ensure that the behavior of machines toward human users, and perhaps other machines as well, is ethically acceptable. Therefore, in this article we discuss the importance of machine ethics and the need for machines that represent ethical principles explicitly. It is also shown how a machine may abstract an ethical principle from a logical representation of ethical judgments and use that principle to guide its own behavior.

[Update of the work of the ethics research in evaluating genetic research and its role as an external ethics committee biobank].

PubMed

Alfonso Farnós, Iciar; Hernández Gil, Arantza; Rodríguez Velasco, María

2013-01-01

Research on human genome and its applications open great perspectives to improve human beings' health. However, these advances must never endanger the respect of dignity, freedom and rights of the participants in medical research, assuring prohibition of any way of discrimination because of genetic features. The Independent Research Boards (IRB), responsible for safeguarding rights, safety and well-being of the subjects taking part in the biomedical research, assess independently submitted genetic studies, clinical trials whose primary objective is obtaining genetic information and genetic sub-studies of clinical trials with drugs. Biobanks, as safeguarding means to preserve biological samples in suitable quality conditions, must be assigned to two external committees, a scientific one and an ethics one. External ethics committees of biobanks have to make the ethical assessment of the submissions of samples transfers and associated data, in order to carry out research projects. On the other hand, they have to advise biobanks on the compliance of ethical and legal principles, which, in many committees, has turned into the performance of informed consent forms which are in accordance with current laws.

Do Editorial Policies Support Ethical Research? A Thematic Text Analysis of Author Instructions in Psychiatry Journals

PubMed Central

Strech, Daniel; Metz, Courtney; Knüppel, Hannes

2014-01-01

Introduction According to the Declaration of Helsinki and other guidelines, clinical studies should be approved by a research ethics committee and seek valid informed consent from the participants. Editors of medical journals are encouraged by the ICMJE and COPE to include requirements for these principles in the journal’s instructions for authors. This study assessed the editorial policies of psychiatry journals regarding ethics review and informed consent. Methods and Findings The information given on ethics review and informed consent and the mentioning of the ICMJE and COPE recommendations were assessed within author’s instructions and online submission procedures of all 123 eligible psychiatry journals. While 54% and 58% of editorial policies required ethics review and informed consent, only 14% and 19% demanded the reporting of these issues in the manuscript. The TOP-10 psychiatry journals (ranked by impact factor) performed similarly in this regard. Conclusions Only every second psychiatry journal adheres to the ICMJE’s recommendation to inform authors about requirements for informed consent and ethics review. Furthermore, we argue that even the ICMJE’s recommendations in this regard are insufficient, at least for ethically challenging clinical trials. At the same time, ideal scientific design sometimes even needs to be compromised for ethical reasons. We suggest that features of clinical studies that make them morally controversial, but not necessarily unethical, are analogous to methodological limitations and should thus be reported explicitly. Editorial policies as well as reporting guidelines such as CONSORT should be extended to support a meaningful reporting of ethical research. PMID:24901366

[Ethical aspects of biological sample banks].

PubMed

Cambon-Thomsen, A; Rial-Sebbag, E

2003-02-01

Numerous activities in the domain of epidemiology require the constitution or the use of biological sample banks. Such biobanks raise ethical issues. A number of recommendations are applicable to this field, in France and elsewhere. Major principles applicable to biobanks include the respect of person's autonomy, the respect of human body, the respect of confidentiality. These principles are translated into practices through the following procedures: relevant information to the persons regarding their sample management prior to informed consent, opinion of an independent ethics committee, actual implementation of conditions for protecting samples and data. However, although those principles may appear quite simple and obvious, in the context of a largely international practice of research and given the large variety of biobanks, it is not always obvious for researchers to find their way. The attitudes vary between countries, there are numerous texts for various types of biobanks, the same texts raise different interpretations in different institutions, there are new ethical opinions expressed, and mainly the novelty of questions raised by the uses of samples that are possible today, especially in genetics, and were not foreseeable at the time of sampling make the field difficult in practice. This article reviews the types of biobanks, the relevant ethical issues. It also underlines the still unclear or ambiguous situations using some examples of practical situations.

[Ethical considerations in genomic cohort study].

PubMed

Choi, Eun Kyung; Kim, Ock-Joo

2007-03-01

During the last decade, genomic cohort study has been developed in many countries by linking health data and genetic data in stored samples. Genomic cohort study is expected to find key genetic components that contribute to common diseases, thereby promising great advance in genome medicine. While many countries endeavor to build biobank systems, biobank-based genome research has raised important ethical concerns including genetic privacy, confidentiality, discrimination, and informed consent. Informed consent for biobank poses an important question: whether true informed consent is possible in population-based genomic cohort research where the nature of future studies is unforeseeable when consent is obtained. Due to the sensitive character of genetic information, protecting privacy and keeping confidentiality become important topics. To minimize ethical problems and achieve scientific goals to its maximum degree, each country strives to build population-based genomic cohort research project, by organizing public consultation, trying public and expert consensus in research, and providing safeguards to protect privacy and confidentiality.

76 FR 72955 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: “Ethical Dilemmas in Surgery and Utilization of Hospital...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-28

... Request: ``Ethical Dilemmas in Surgery and Utilization of Hospital Ethics Consultation Service: A Survey.... Proposed Collection: Title: Ethical Dilemmas in Surgery and Utilization of Hospital Ethics Consultation...: This survey is intended to collect information about the ethical dilemmas that surgeons have faced in...

How to succeed with ethics reflection groups in community healthcare? Professionals' perceptions.

PubMed

Karlsen, Heidi; Lillemoen, Lillian; Magelssen, Morten; Førde, Reidun; Pedersen, Reidar; Gjerberg, Elisabeth

2018-01-01

Healthcare personnel in the municipal healthcare systems experience many ethical challenges in their everyday work. In Norway, 243 municipalities participated in a national ethics project, aimed to increase ethical competence in municipal healthcare services. In this study, we wanted to map out what participants in ethics reflection groups experienced as promoters or as barriers to successful reflection. To examine what the staff experience as promoters or as barriers to successful ethics reflection. The study has a qualitative design, where 56 participants in municipal healthcare participated in 10 different focus-group interviews. Ethical considerations: The data collection was based on the participants' informed consent and approved by the Data Protection Official of the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. The informants had different experiences from ethics reflection group. Nevertheless, we found that there were several factors that were consistently mentioned: competence, facilitator's role, ethics reflection groups organizing, and organizational support were all experienced as promoters and as a significant effect on ethics reflection groups. The absence of such factors would constitute important barriers to successful ethics reflection. The results are coincident with other studies, and indicate some conditions that may increase the possibility to succeed with ethics reflection groups. A systematic approach seems to be important, the systematics of the actual reflections, but also in the organization of ethics reflection group at the workplace. Community healthcare is characterized by organizational instabilities as many vacancies, high workloads, and lack of predictability. This can be a hinder for ethics reflection group. Both internal and external factors seem to influence the organization of ethics reflection group. The municipalities' instabilities challenging this work, and perceived as a clear inhibitor for the development. The participants

Scepticism about the virtue ethics approach to nursing ethics.

PubMed

Holland, Stephen

2010-07-01

Nursing ethics centres on how nurses ought to respond to the moral situations that arise in their professional contexts. Nursing ethicists invoke normative approaches from moral philosophy. Specifically, it is increasingly common for nursing ethicists to apply virtue ethics to moral problems encountered by nurses. The point of this article is to argue for scepticism about this approach. First, the research question is motivated by showing that requirements on nurses such as to be kind, do not suffice to establish virtue ethics in nursing because normative rivals (such as utilitarians) can say as much; and the teleology distinctive of virtue ethics does not transpose to a professional context, such as nursing. Next, scepticism is argued for by responding to various attempts to secure a role for virtue ethics in nursing. The upshot is that virtue ethics is best left where it belongs - in personal moral life, not professional ethics - and nursing ethics is best done by taking other approaches.

Proportional ethical review and the identification of ethical issues

PubMed Central

Hunter, D

2007-01-01

Presently, there is a movement in the UK research governance framework towards what is referred to as proportional ethical review. Proportional ethical review is the notion that the level of ethical review and scrutiny given to a research project ought to reflect the level of ethical risk represented by that project. Relatively innocuous research should receive relatively minimal review and relatively risky research should receive intense scrutiny. Although conceptually attractive, the notion of proportional review depends on the possibility of effectively identifying the risks and ethical issues posed by an application with some process other than a full review by a properly constituted research ethics committee. In this paper, it is argued that this cannot be achieved and that the only appropriate means of identifying risks and ethical issues is consideration by a full committee. This implies that the suggested changes to the National Health Service research ethics system presently being consulted on should be strenuously resisted. PMID:17400625

Sports Medicine and Ethics

PubMed Central

Testoni, Daniela; Hornik, Christoph P.; Smith, P. Brian; Benjamin, Daniel K.; McKinney, Ross E.

2014-01-01

Physicians working in the world of competitive sports face unique ethical challenges, many of which center around conflicts of interest. Team-employed physicians have obligations to act in the club’s best interest while caring for the individual athlete. As such, they must balance issues like protecting versus sharing health information, as well as issues regarding autonomous informed consent versus paternalistic decision-making in determining whether an athlete may compete safely. Moreover, the physician has to deal with an athlete’s decisions about performance enhancement and return to play, pursuit of which may not be in the athlete’s long-term best interests but may benefit the athlete and team in the short term. These difficult tasks are complicated by the lack of evidence-based standards in a field influenced by the lure of financial gains for multiple parties involved. In this article, we review ethical issues in sports medicine with specific attention paid to American professional football. PMID:24024796

Sports medicine and ethics.

PubMed

Testoni, Daniela; Hornik, Christoph P; Smith, P Brian; Benjamin, Daniel K; McKinney, Ross E

2013-01-01

Physicians working in the world of competitive sports face unique ethical challenges, many of which center around conflicts of interest. Team-employed physicians have obligations to act in the club's best interest while caring for the individual athlete. As such, they must balance issues like protecting versus sharing health information, as well as issues regarding autonomous informed consent versus paternalistic decision making in determining whether an athlete may compete safely. Moreover, the physician has to deal with an athlete's decisions about performance enhancement and return to play, pursuit of which may not be in the athlete's long-term best interests but may benefit the athlete and team in the short term. These difficult tasks are complicated by the lack of evidence-based standards in a field influenced by the lure of financial gains for multiple parties involved. In this article, we review ethical issues in sports medicine with specific attention paid to American professional football.

An Empirical Ethics Agenda for Psychiatric Research Involving Prisoners

PubMed Central

Christopher, Paul P.; Candilis, Philip J.; Rich, Josiah D.; Lidz, Charles W.

2012-01-01

In the past 30 years, the incarcerated population in the United States has more than quadrupled to 2.3 million adults. With an alarmingly high prevalence of mental illness, substance use, and other serious health conditions compounding their curtailed autonomy, prisoners constitute perhaps the nation’s most disadvantaged group. Scientifically rigorous research involving prisoners holds the potential to inform and enlighten correctional policy and to improve their treatment. At the same time, prisoner research presents significant ethical challenges to investigators and institutional review boards (IRBs) alike, by subjecting participants to conditions that potentially undermine the validity of their informed consent. In 2006, the Institute of Medicine Committee on Ethical Considerations for Revisions to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Regulations for Protection of Prisoners Involved in Research recommended both further protections and a more permissive approach to research review that would allow inmates greater access to potentially beneficial research. These recommendations have sparked renewed debate about the ethical trade-offs inherent to prisoner research. In this article, the authors review the major justifications for research with prisoner subjects and the associated ethical concerns, and argue that the field of empirical ethics has much to offer to the debate. They then propose a framework for prioritizing future empirical ethics inquiry on this understudied topic. PMID:25309805

The Ethical Implications for Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart, Jill

2012-05-01

Ethical frameworks seek to normatively structure our behaviour and preconstitute expectations with regards to moral activity towards each other as well as other creatures and even non-sentient objects such as the environment. This paper considers how ongoing ethical discussions relating to earth-based interactions can be used as analogies to inform nascent conversations about potential future encounters with extraterrestrial life—while also highlighting where these geocentric conversations may fail to capture the unique dynamics of potential extraterrestrial encounters. The paper specifically considers the spectrum of ethical frameworks currently used in earth-based interactions and how they might apply outside the geocentric referent; from ethics towards non- sentient life on earth such as plants and the environment; to ethics towards sentient but ‘unintelligent' life; to intelligent life nonetheless deemed less intelligent than humans. Next the paper considers interactions that we have yet to (knowingly) have encountered here on earth: the ethics of interactions with life more intelligent than ourselves; and finally the ethics of interaction with robotic ‘post-biological' forms, which some specialists in extraterrestrial communications have speculated will likely be the form of ‘creatures' to be encountered should contact with extraterrestrials ever be made. Finally the paper will address deeper philosophical-ethical questions about the significance of such an exercise in shifting ethical frameworks from an anthropocentric perspective.

MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND EMERGING CONTAMINANTS

PubMed Central

Cordner, Alissa; Brown, Phil

2013-01-01

Science on emerging environmental health threats involves numerous ethical concerns related to scientific uncertainty about conducting, interpreting, communicating, and acting upon research findings, but the connections between ethical decision making and scientific uncertainty are under-studied in sociology. Under conditions of scientific uncertainty, researcher conduct is not fully prescribed by formal ethical codes of conduct, increasing the importance of ethical reflection by researchers, conflicts over research conduct, and reliance on informal ethical standards. This paper draws on in-depth interviews with scientists, regulators, activists, industry representatives, and fire safety experts to explore ethical considerations of moments of uncertainty using a case study of flame retardants, chemicals widely used in consumer products with potential negative health and environmental impacts. We focus on the uncertainty that arises in measuring people’s exposure to these chemicals through testing of their personal environments or bodies. We identify four sources of ethical concerns relevant to scientific uncertainty: 1) choosing research questions or methods, 2) interpreting scientific results, 3) communicating results to multiple publics, and 4) applying results for policy-making. This research offers lessons about professional conduct under conditions of uncertainty, ethical research practice, democratization of scientific knowledge, and science’s impact on policy. PMID:24249964

Ethics: A Theory of Medical Ethics.

PubMed

Brody, Howard

This book review characterizes Robert Veatch's A Theory of Medical Ethics as a "third-generation" treatise that looks beyond case- and issue-oriented analysis to develop the theoretical bases of a "true system of medical ethics." Veatch proposes a "draft medical ethical covenant" based on a "triple contract" model, in which the moral principles of contract keeping, autonomy, honesty, avoiding killing, and justice govern the physician's relationship to both individual patients and society.

Chinese insurance agents in "bad barrels": a multilevel analysis of the relationship between ethical leadership, ethical climate and business ethical sensitivity.

PubMed

Zhang, Na; Zhang, Jian

2016-01-01

The moral hazards and poor public image of the insurance industry, arising from insurance agents' unethical behavior, affect both the normal operation of an insurance company and decrease applicants' confidence in the company. Contrarily, these scandals may demonstrate that the organizations were "bad barrels" in which insurance agents' unethical decisions were supported or encouraged by the organization's leadership or climate. The present study brings two organization-level factors (ethical leadership and ethical climate) together and explores the role of ethical climate on the relationship between the ethical leadership and business ethical sensitivity of Chinese insurance agents. Through the multilevel analysis of 502 insurance agents from 56 organizations, it is found that organizational ethical leadership is positively related to the organizational ethical climate; organizational ethical climate is positively related to business ethical sensitivity, and organizational ethical climate fully mediates the relationship between organizational ethical leadership and business ethical sensitivity. Organizational ethical climate plays a completely mediating role in the relationship between organizational ethical leadership and business ethical sensitivity. The integrated model of ethical leadership, ethical climate and business ethical sensitivity makes several contributions to ethics theory, research and management.

Radioactive source security: the cultural challenges.

PubMed

Englefield, Chris

2015-04-01

Radioactive source security is an essential part of radiation protection. Sources can be abandoned, lost or stolen. If they are stolen, they could be used to cause deliberate harm and the risks are varied and significant. There is a need for a global security protection system and enhanced capability to achieve this. The establishment of radioactive source security requires 'cultural exchanges'. These exchanges include collaboration between: radiation protection specialists and security specialists; the nuclear industry and users of radioactive sources; training providers and regulators/users. This collaboration will facilitate knowledge and experience exchange for the various stakeholder groups, beyond those already provided. This will promote best practice in both physical and information security and heighten security awareness generally. Only if all groups involved are prepared to open their minds to listen to and learn from, each other will a suitable global level of control be achieved. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Towards improving the ethics of ecological research.

PubMed

Crozier, G K D; Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht I

2015-06-01

We argue that the ecological research community should develop a plan for improving the ethical consistency and moral robustness of the field. We propose a particular ethics strategy--specifically, an ongoing process of collective ethical reflection that the community of ecological researchers, with the cooperation of applied ethicists and philosophers of biology, can use to address the needs we identify. We suggest a particular set of conceptual (in the form of six core values--freedom, fairness, well being, replacement, reduction, and refinement) and analytic (in the forms of decision theoretic software, 1000Minds) tools that, we argue, collectively have the resources to provide an empirically grounded and conceptually complete foundation for an ethics strategy for ecological research. We illustrate our argument with information gathered from a survey of ecologists conducted at the 2013 meeting of the Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution.

Ethical issues in perinatal mental health research.

PubMed

Brandon, Anna R; Shivakumar, Geetha; Lee, Simon Craddock; Inrig, Stephen J; Sadler, John Z

2009-11-01

To review the background of current ethical standards for the conduct of perinatal mental health research and describe the ethical challenges in this research domain. Current literature reflects a growing sentiment in the scientific community that having no information regarding the impact of psychiatric treatment on the mother and developing fetus/infant poses dangers that may exceed the risks involved in research. However, without sufficient consensus across the scientific community, both regulatory bodies and perinatal researchers find themselves without a framework for decision making that satisfactorily limits the risks and facilitates the benefits of participation of pregnant and lactating women in clinical research. Psychiatric research in perinatal mental health is critically important as it enables clinicians and patients to participate in informed decision-making concerning treatment for psychiatric disorders. Specific areas of concern include fetal safety, maternal risk, the therapeutic misconception, commercial interests, forensic/legal issues, the informed consent process, and study design. Developing guidelines that address ethical challenges and include the views and concerns of multiple stakeholders could improve the access of perinatal women to the benefits of participation in mental health research in addition to providing evidence-based mental healthcare for this subpopulation.

Scientists' perception of ethical issues in nanomedicine: a case study.

PubMed