Question

What is nontherapeutic research, and why, according to Fremgen, is obtaining informed consent, particularly important in this sort of research?

Answer 1

Non-therapeutic research refers to one that wouldn’t produce any diagnostic, preventive or therapeutic value to the subjects being studied. However, the study may shed light in treating patients in the future. This would mean that the participants would undergo conditions that may not potentially benefit them in the first place but the research subjects would only volunteer to help the researcher to study the phenomenon. According to Fremgen, obtaining informed consent, particularly in non-therapeutic research is very important because he suggests that the informed consent should be given in layman’s words and it should clearly state about the research. This would mean that informed consent is not merely something that needs to be obtained for the sake of obtaining it but it should be presented in a way to respect the participants by making it an on-going process and person centered open communication.

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