NCJ Number
10178
Date Published
1973
Length
271 pages
Annotation
THE EXPRESSED ETHICAL STANDARDS ON THE USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN BIOMEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION WERE COMPARED TO ACTUAL PRACTICES BY RESEARCHERS IN THIS EMPIRICAL STUDY.
Abstract
TWO SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED FOR THIS STUDY, ONE ON A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, A SECOND ON A SAMPLE OF 350 RESEARCHERS WHO ACTUALLY USED HUMAN SUBJECTS. DATA WAS COLLECTED ON THE TWO KEY ISSUES IN THE AREA - INFORMED VOLUNTARY CONSENT AND THE PROPER BALANCE BETWEEN RISK AND BENEFIT TO THE PATIENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY OF RESEARCHERS WHO WERE UNAWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSENT, WILLING TO TAKE UNDUE RISKS, AND ACTUALLY CONDUCTING HIGH RISK EXPERIMENTS. THE SURVEY ALSO REVEALED THAT THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS HAVE GIVEN SCANT ATTENTION TO TRAINING DOCTORS IN THE ETHICS OF RESEARCH. PEER REVIEW GROUPS, WHICH SCREEN MOST EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH, WERE FOUND TO BE FAIRLY EFFECTIVE IN MONITORING EXPERIMENTATION. A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES WAS NOTED. SUGGESTIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE AND REFORM IN THE CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTATION ARE OFFERED. PROMINENT AMONG THESE SUGGESTIONS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT NON-MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS BE ADDED TO THE PEER REVIEW COMMITTEES. THIS WORK SHOULD PARTICULARLY INTEREST CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING USE OF EXPERIMENTAL BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES IN PRISONS.