Question

We have watched a documentary where one exploited or demonstrated disrespect for people in minority cultures by failing to obtain individual informed consent for research or treatment.

In general, Are there important cultural variations in the emphasis placed on individual autonomy, and if so, how should those cultural differences be handled? What special considerations need to be taken for research in developing countries? Should the responsibility fall on the country sponsoring the research or the country where the research is taking place; or some combination of both?

Answer 1

In recent years biomedical research in developing and impoverished countries has been increasing .US researchers choose these countries as it is very cost-efficient and the target population for the research is mostly in these poor countries. But the problem arises when proper ethical guidelines arent followed when it comes to individual consent during research. People are very naive and fall into danger by getting themselves into a research program without even knowing the risks in the first place. Consent issues are mainly prevalent in impoverished and developing countries since, in countries, community consent like tribes or the village head is given more importance than individual consent. In order to make the community agree, proper ethical guidelines should be followed in order to respect the norms and customs of the tribe and community. Another important aspect when it comes to individual consent is giving the right information. If the research isn't explained properly to them, then they might not be able to understand the risks and even fail to provide the right information needed for the research. Therefore a proper verbal or written consent must be made by the people in order to keep things clear and concrete. Reimbursing individuals is also another tricky thing to handle. If a very high amount is paid for the participants, people might present false details in order to be a part of the research which can be very dangerous if it ends being life-threatening decision. If the reserach pays them less also is a problem since there should be a decent cost paid for them since they are investing their time in it. So finding a balance between these is crucial.

When it comes to accountibility and responsibilty , i think its more in the hands of the country sponsoring . They need to set up good ethical guidelines making sure no one violates an individual's consent for the benefit of the research . People shall be scrutinized if caought indulging in such activities . Emphasizing on sharing proper information about the research must be made mandatory so that no one is blind sided at the end of the research.