Question

Post, an explanation of how informed consent for medical research (clinical trials) differs from the patient's consent to treat used in health care practice (e.g., medical treatment or surgery). Explain why you think this difference exists? Provide at least one clear example of how informed consent could be used in medical research and one example of how it is used in health care practice. Then provide an example of each of the four ethical principals in action in research. Use your textbook, the articles in the Learning Resources, and/or other credible resources to support your answer.

Answer 1

Answer :

In research :

• As a researcher ,it is your responsibility to educate the participants about the study purpose ,the procedures risk and benefits and obtain their consent before involving them in your research and keep them informed .
• Conventionally informed consent is thought to be in terms of the document signed and dated by participants ,setting for the purpose ,benefits and risk and other study information necessory to allow the participants to make an informed and voluntary decision to participate in the clinical study .

Elements :

• full disclosure of the nature of the research and participants involvement .
• Adequate comprehension on the part of the potential participant .
• The participants volunary choice to participate .
• Example : researcher want to do the experimental study regarding effectiveness of interventions to control the diabetes among the women age about 30 - 50 years .

- here researcher need to take informed consent from all the voluntary participants and also he could inform the risks and benefits of these research .

Medical treatment or surgery :

• In the context of patient centered medicine , consent is best conceptualised as shared decision making with patients or their surrogates
• Informed consent is an established ethical and legal requirement for medical treatment as well as surgery .
• As an ethical doctrine ,informed consent is a process of communication whereby a patient is enabled to make an informed and voluntary decision about accepting or declining medical care .
• It is critical for physician to document consents for this conversation as part of permanent medical record .

Ex : for any surgery ,physician should take informed consent from the patient and should inform the risks and benefits of surgical procedure .

Ethical principles :

• Obtain informed consent from potential research participants .
• Minimise the risk of harm to patient .
• Protect their anonymity and confidentiality .
• Avoid using deceptive practice .
• Give participants ,the rights to withdraw from the research .