Question

In: Statistics and Probability

Healthcare research often involves the use of patients or human subjects. Research and read about the...

Healthcare research often involves the use of patients or human subjects. Research and read about the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. What are your thoughts? Describe the use of research, using human subjects, and potential ethical issues.

Solutions

Expert Solution

A brief description of the experiment:

The Tuskgee Syphilis study was started in 1932. Its purpose was to study the natural course of syphilis in 600 black American males among which 399 had the disease while the rest acted as a control group. The participants were offered free medical care, meals and free burial service. The actual purpose and their underlying conditions were never informed to the participants and it went on for the next 40 years till 1972 when furious uproar over the ethics of the experiment forced it to stop.

Thoughts:

The experiment was completely unethical. Even though the participants were not forced to join it, they were given false information regarding the actual purpose. The ones who were actually suffering from syphilis were never told about it. Thus the notion of informed consent was violated by the researchers.

The second ethical issue was the withholding of treatment. Even after the development of penicillin as a much better option for the treatment of syphilis, the researchers continued the older method. They didn't even inform the patients that another method was available.

HUMANS AS A RESEARCH SUBJECT AND THE POTENTIAL ETHICAL ISSUES

Humans are needed in medical researches for the purpose of collecting and analysing data so that future (yet unknown) patients' treatment can be improved upon. This is one of the relaible ways to understand a particular condition/disease and related effects. Since living beings are involved and we have developed an ethical code regarding how humans should be treated, there are ethical issues related to the matter.

1. Informed consent : Making sure that the participant is not forced to join, has all the necessary information regarding the purpose and the course of research and has been provided with the knowledge of the potential risks and benefits of the research. This is to ensure that a participant can voluntarily and intelligently make a decision. Otherwise, they are just being fooled and put in danger.

2. Nonmalificence and Beneficence: The participants should come the no harm, be it physical, emotional or social. An experiment which harms it participants in any of the mentioned ways is akin to a criminal activity.

3. Privacy and Anonymity: Based on the results of a research, certian people or groups of people might become vulnerable for a multitude of reasons. A breach of privacy in these matters may result in emotional turnmoil for the participants.


Related Solutions

What role does ethics play in research, especially when the research involves human subjects?
What role does ethics play in research, especially when the research involves human subjects?
Patients will often look to healthcare providers for information healthcare plans, coverage, and options. Understanding and...
Patients will often look to healthcare providers for information healthcare plans, coverage, and options. Understanding and being able to communicate this information to patients is an important part of working in the healthcare field. Practice making recommendations in this discussion. There are three patients: Joe, Scott, and Steve. Joe is 42, relatively healthy, and was a member of the Army for 20 years. Scott is 67 and suffers from chronic bronchitis. Steve is 25 and is battling stage 2 cancer....
In the U.S., the history of ethical regulations in human subjects research began with the
In the U.S., the history of ethical regulations in human subjects research began with the _______. Declaration of Helsinki Nuremberg Code Common Rule Belmont Report
Research and read about universal healthcare efforts in the United States. Using approximately 200 to 400...
Research and read about universal healthcare efforts in the United States. Using approximately 200 to 400 words, provide the pros and cons of universal healthcare in the United States.
medical ethics: an example of biomedical research on human subjects and evaluate its ethical status with...
medical ethics: an example of biomedical research on human subjects and evaluate its ethical status with explicit reference to the common rule
The Belmont Report summarizes the ethical principles and guidelines for research involving human subjects. Three core...
The Belmont Report summarizes the ethical principles and guidelines for research involving human subjects. Three core principles are identified: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Even though these principles are considered equal, prioritize them in order of importance. Explain decisions.
Conducting research projects while ensuring the protection of human subjects is necessary. What are some methods...
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.
How can you use what you learned about human development to provide optimal healthcare to all...
How can you use what you learned about human development to provide optimal healthcare to all of your patients? Give two specific examples of how you can apply concepts or theories to potential healthcare scenarios. ( Piaget, Erikson)
Identify an organization that involves human research subject. Describe the specified guidelines (of your chosen organization)...
Identify an organization that involves human research subject. Describe the specified guidelines (of your chosen organization) that are stated for conducting research on children, women, minorities, and cognitively impaired subjects.
What famous case began human subjects research ethics? What does its code state?
What famous case began human subjects research ethics? What does its code state?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT