CONFLICT BETWEEN RESEARCH AND ETHICS

Conflict between Research and Ethics

Conflict between Research and Ethics

Introduction

Medicine is not an exact science in the way that mathematics and physics are. It does have many general principles that are valid most of the time, but every patient is different and what is an effective treatment for 90% of the population may not work for the other 10%. Thus, medicine is inherently experimental. Even the most widely accepted treatments need to be monitored and evaluated to determine whether they are effective for specific patients and, for that matter, for patients in general (Steneck, 2004).

Discussion

This is one of the functions of medical research. Another, perhaps better known, function is the development of new treatments, especially drugs, medical devices and surgical “...medicine is inherently experimental” techniques. Great progress has been made in this area over the past 50 years and today there is more medical research underway than ever before (Chalk, 2008). Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions about the functioning of the human body, the causes of diseases (both familiar and novel ones) and the best ways to prevent or cure them. Medical research is the only means of answering these questions.

In addition to seeking a better understanding of human physiology, medical research investigates a wide variety of other factors in human health, including patterns of disease (epidemiology), the organization, funding and delivery of healthcare (health systems research), social and cultural aspects of health (medical sociology and anthropology), law (legal medicine) and ethics (medical ethics) (Swazey, 2003).

The importance of these types of research is being increasingly recognized by funding agencies, many of which have specific programs for non-physiological medical research. Research in Medical Practice All physicians make use of the results of medical research in their clinical practice. To maintain their competence, physicians must keep up with the current research in their area of practice through Continuing Medical Education/ Continuing Professional Development programs, medical journals and interaction with knowledgeable colleagues (Zurer, 2003).

Even if they do not engage in research themselves, physicians must know how to interpret the results of research and apply them to their patients. Thus, a basic familiarity with research methods is essential for competent medical practice. The best way to gain this familiarity “Even if they do not engage in research themselves, physicians must know how to interpret the results of research and apply them to their patients.” is to take part in a research project, either as a medical student or following qualification.

Patient's Consent

The most common method of research for practising physicians is the clinical trial. Before a new drug can be approved by governmentmandated regulatory authorities, it must undergo extensive testing for safety and efficacy. The process begins with laboratory studies followed by testing on animals. If this proves promising, the four steps, or phases, of clinical research, are next (Swazey, 2003):

Phase one research, usually conducted on a relatively small number of healthy volunteers, who are often paid for their participation, is intended ...