Ethics Involved in Research

Research subjects have been compromised in the 1970s which marked a turning point in how research was controlled and created a paradigm shift toward the ethical use of humans in research (Belmont Report Educational Video, 2007). The Belmont Report is significant as it incorporates the ethical guidelines and principles used to resolve ethical issues in research. The three basic ethical principles outlined by the Belmont Report include the principle of respect of persons, beneficence, and justice serve (The Belmont Report, 1979). The principle of respect proclaims that “individuals should be treated as autonomous agents” and if an individual has a diminished sense of autonomy they are thereby entitled to protection. Beneficence ensures that an individual’s well-being is secured by the “do no harm” and “maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms” rules (The Belmont Report, 1979). The do no harm rule states that a person should not injure another person despite the potential benefits that may arise for others while the maximization of possible benefits and reduction of possible harms rule assessed in order to ascertain whether they should seek or avoid such benefits due to the risks involved (The Belmont Report, 1979). The principle of justice is based on the distribution of fairness. Ethical guidelines for research are warranted; however, some opponents have seen the stringency as a barrier to evidence-based practice.

The Nuremberg Code is a set of ethical research principles involving the treatment of humans for experimental research purposes. This sets a basis for informed consent without coercion regarding the beneficence of participants involved in the study who must be made aware of the duration, method, purpose, and potential hazards of the experiment as well as the effects on their health (The Nuremberg Code, 2005). The Tuskegee Syphilis Project involved the study of untreated syphilis among African Americans without informed consent (CDC, 2013). This is a mere representation of the unethical use of a research study because the patients were misled into thinking they would be treated for bad blood. Thereafter, they failed to receive proper treatment even after penicillin became available as a treatment option.

References

Belmont Report Educational Video. (2007). HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7sflA1dlGQ

The Belmont Report. (1979). HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html

The Nuremberg Code. (2005). HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/archive/nurcode.html

U.S. Public health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee: The Tuskegee Timeline. (2013). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm