Question

Conducting research projects while ensuring the protection of human subjects is necessary. What are some methods to protect personal rights of someone in one of the groups that is labeled as vulnerable? Justify your rationale.

Answer 1

A practitioner should do his research work efficiently and effectively to arrive at a proprer timely and an appropriate conclusion regarding issues on hand. During the process of research conducting time a practitioner should obey the guidelines set by various authorities and conscious and transparent research standards. Some of the methods that can be taken to protect the right of the vulnerable groups are as follows:

All research organizations must follow the guidelines of the Good Clinical Practices (GCP).

Extremely strict reporting guidelines must be followed by research associates and organizations in managing and recording the frequently validated databases so to ensure the sharing of safety data for the vulnerable community ensuring that the risks associated are being frequently validated by the clinical experts and safety steering committees. It should also be ensured that recommendations are populated with all the relevant stakeholders. This will keep a tab on malpractices by research organizations and safeguard the rights of the vulnerable sections.

There has to be continued awareness drives through frequent education of all the stakeholders to make them aware of the safe approach and standard guidelines for research that may affect the vulnerable sections rights. This way this section is aware of their rights and can be prevented from being exploited.

There are multiple authorities and watchdog panels which are entrusted to make sure that vulnerable participant protection guidelines are followed by the research agencies and they should continuously monitor the compliance and recommend and promote the standard precautions and norms.

Ethical Review Boards (ERBs) should also pitch in and investigate any issues which may affect the rights of the vulnerable sections and must ensure the strict safeguard of the rights of these populations.