Lec 9: Ethical Issues in Health Research

Mr. Abdirisak Suleiman Ibrahim

Learning Objectives
• Define Research ethics
• Basic principles of research ethics
• Define Informed Consent
• Research on vulnerable groups
Define Research Ethics

• The word ethics is derived from the Greek work “ethicos’’.

• Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with morality, Moral
problems and moral judgments, in fact the whole science of moral
principles.
• Ethics are broadly the set of rules, written and unwritten, that
govern our expectations of our own and others’ behaviour.
• Effectively, they set out how we expect others to behave, and why.
While there is broad agreement on some ethical values (for example,
that murder is bad), there is also wide variation on how exactly these
values should be interpreted in practice
• Research ethics are the set of ethics that govern how scientific and
other research is performed at research institutions such as
universities, and how it is disseminated
Basic principles of research ethics

• Human research ethics rest on three fundamentals principles:

1. Respect for the person: It refers to the respect of the autonomy
and self determination of all human beings, acknowledging their
dignity and freedom.
2. Beneficence: makes the researcher responsible for the participants'
physical, mental and social well being as related to the study.
Beneficence: non-maleficence=DO NO HARM
3. Justice: Literally means moral and absolute rightness.
Justice may be defined as a form of fairness.
Define Informed Consent

• Informed Consent is a voluntary agreement to participate in research.

It is not merely a form that is signed but is a process, in which the
subject has an understanding of the research and its risks. Informed
consent is essential before enrolling a participant and ongoing once
enrolled.
Essential information for informed consent
• Aim and method of the research
• Duration of participation
• Expected benefits from the research
• Risks/discomfort involved during participation
• Confidentiality of records
• Provision for compensation in case of disability or death of subjects.
• The individual is free to refuse or to participate and will be free to
withdraw from the research at any time without penalty or loss of
benefits.
Research on vulnerable groups

• Women
• Children
• Elderly persons
• Prisoners
• Rural population
• Population of slums
• Minority groups
• Refugees
• Prostitutes
Important Concepts
• Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise that limits access
or places restrictions on certain types of information.

• The state of keeping or being kept secret or private.

Compensation
• Something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of
loss, suffering, or injury.

• the act or state of compensating, as by rewarding someone for

service or by making up for someone's loss, damage, or injury by
giving the injured party an appropriate benefit.
Inducement
• A thing that persuades or leads someone to do something.

• a motive or consideration that leads one to action or to additional or

more effective actions
Benefits of research ethics
• Human Subjects Protection.
• When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and
risks and maximize benefits.
• Respect human dignity.
• Privacy, and autonomy.
• Take special precautions with vulnerable populations; and strive to
distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly.
The Importance of Research Ethics

• Research ethics are important for a number of reasons.

• They promote the aims of research, such as expanding knowledge.
• They support the values required for collaborative work, such as
mutual respect and fairness. This is essential because scientific
research depends on collaboration between researchers and groups.
• They mean that researchers can be held accountable for their actions.
Many researchers are supported by public money, and regulations on
conflicts of interest, misconduct, and research involving humans or
animals are necessary to ensure that money is spent appropriately.
• They ensure that the public can trust research. For people to support
and fund research, they have to be confident in it.
• They support important social and moral values, such as the principle
of doing no harm to others
The Role of the Ethics Committee

• Most universities have an ethics committee. This is required to

examine all research proposals, to ensure that they do not raise any
ethical issues. This will generally include research for master’s and
undergraduate degrees, although undergraduate research may be
covered by a broader research proposal from your supervisor.
Many or even most ethical codes cover the following areas:

•Honesty and Integrity

•Carefulness: Take care in carrying out your research to avoid careless mistakes.

•Respect for Intellectual Property: You should never plagiarize, or copy, other
people’s work and try to pass it off as your own.
•Animal Care
•Human Subjects Protection
•Confidentiality
•Legality
THANK YOU