The Perception of Students on the Use of Animals in Higher Education at the Federal University of Paraná, Southern Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo G.F. Deguchi ◽  
Carla F.M. Molento ◽  
Carlos E.P. de Souza

The use of animals in education and research is a controversial issue that involves ethical considerations. In Brazil, Act 11,794, which was approved in 2008, established the National Council on the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA) and a database of institutions that use animals for research and education (CIUCA). This legislation also set out the regulations for the use of animals. In this study, we have evaluated the ethical issues involved in the use of animals for educational purposes at the Federal University of Paraná, through a qualitative–quantitative analysis that relied on written questionnaires. Our objective was to find out the opinions of students and staff from different academic fields, and at different stages in their professional development, on the use of animals for educational purposes. The study involved 101 students and 20 lecturers (i.e. tenure-track professors and all those who teach the students) in Biology, Pharmacology, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Approximately half of the students (45.5%) did not know the legislation that regulates the use of animals in education, and most of the lecturers believed that learning goals could not be achieved with alternative methods. Only 38.9% of the lecturers and 31.9% of the students trusted the usefulness of alternative methods. Furthermore, recent graduates were as unaware of the legislation, as were students in the first two years of their university courses. These results suggest that it is necessary to considerably expand the discussion on alternatives to animal use in the academic environment.

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina de Toledo Durand ◽  
Carolina Baraldi Araujo Restini ◽  
Amora C. D. Wolff ◽  
Milton Faria Jr. ◽  
Lucélio Bernardes Couto ◽  
...  

Over the years, much criticism against animal use for physiology teaching has been made. Hence, replacement by suitable alternatives has increased in several pedagogical approaches. This study examined students’ perceptions of animal versus virtual (video/computer) laboratory classes in physiological sciences associated with the effectiveness of the problem-based learning (PBL) hybrid curriculum. Three cohorts of medical students from the University of Ribeirão Preto, who participated in animal or virtual physiology classes or both, were asked to fill out a 5-point Likert questionnaire about knowledge acquisition/motivation, importance to PBL learning goals, skills acquired, need for animal use, academic formation, learning impairment, and alternative methods. We also assessed their grades in the final exam. A total of 350 students were included, in which 108 participated only in virtual classes, 120 only in practical animal laboratory classes, and 122 in both approaches. The majority agreed that the two methods improved their knowledge acquisition/motivation and helped to reinforce tutorial goals and to acquire skills. However, the cohort who experienced both approaches favored animal laboratory. Students believe animal use is needed and did not impair their learning. Conversely, their opinion about academic formation without animal laboratory classes was divided, as was whether this approach inspired them to seek alternative methods. Despite the different perceptions, there was no difference among the groups’ final grades (7.3 ± 1 vs. 7.2 ± 1 vs. 7.2 ± 2 for virtual or practical animal laboratory classes or both, respectively). Therefore, virtual activities are not as effective as animal use in the opinions of the students, but they are successful strategies in physiology learning that can be used in practical classes in a hybrid PBL curriculum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Zemanova

Research on animals is one of the most controversial ethical issues in our society. It is imperative that animal welfare is being considered and the harm and distress to animals used in research is minimized. This could be achieved through implementation of the so-called 3Rs principles for animal research, which are now implemented in many legislations worldwide. These principles serve as a basis for research without the use of animals (Replacement), with as few animals as possible (Reduction), and in which the animal’s welfare is as good as possible (Refinement). While there has been a lot of focus on implementation of these principles, only a few studies have documented the knowledge and adoption of the 3Rs among researchers. One field that has been particularly neglected is ecological research, which can involve many practices that affect animal welfare. Moreover, the knowledge, experience, and attitudes about animal use in ecological research and education has never been examined before. In order to close this gap, I conducted a survey among European ecologists. Responses from 107 respondents from 23 countries revealed that lethal and invasive research methods are prevalent, and that more than half of the respondents have never heard of the 3Rs principles for animal research. Major concerns are also the lack of calculation of the minimum sample size and widespread of dissection classes as part of education. Additionally, most respondents experienced ethical doubts about their research, and did not receive any training in animal welfare or ethics. These findings revealed that it is necessary to implement rigorous standards for ecological research and enforce the implementation of the 3Rs principles. Furthermore, the evaluation of current educational practices in ecology is urgently needed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (84) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Luciane Fischer ◽  
Priscilla Regina Tamioso

The way as society treats the animals may interfere in the success of the proposals for new ethical conducts and has the potential to in!uence the legislative and executive branches, as well as economy. Even in a particular place, such as the university environment, di"erent perceptions on the conduct regarding animal use can be found. This can be related to abilities and competences developed during the academic formation or training. Assuming that the ethical perception in animal use in educational and scienti#c activities are related to knowledge fields, this study aimed to interview students and teachers of a private university considering the biological, social, technical, legal and human fields. The survey was conducted at 17 courses with 87 interviews, through a questionnaire with 16 both open and closed questions, related to the ethics in using animals for teaching and research purposes, as well as knowledge about the animals; about alternatives; and about companies that test their products on animals. The respondents gave positive answers about their feelings towards the animals, but they still show the inheritance of Mechanistic view, once they use the rationality as a mean of di"erentiating Human being from the other animals. Our results indicate the obvious acceptance of the animal use for educational purposes, mainly mammals and rats, for the Veterinary Medicine and Biology courses. The majority of the respondents considered the animal use in scientific research and experimentation fundamental, mainly for medicine production and other therapies related to human health. On the other hand, they did not show to have information about experimentation, once they did not show knowledge about alternative methods. These results confirm the traditional view that the benefits for scientific development justify the costs with animal welfare and the acceptance of practices that do not cause unnecessary su"ering. The data of this study pointed out few differences among academic fields. This finding suggests that ethical attitudes toward animal use in academic and scienti#c areas are beyond the carrier a$nity. These results indicate that there is few worry with information and awareness, which are essentials for changes in attitude.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Tembo ◽  
Allan Maganga ◽  
Peterson Dewah

 This article presents various points of view regarding the treatment of sunken fontanelle by various communities as ignited by the controversial practice of kutara(a practice that involves the father of a child sliding his penis from the lower part of the left and right cheeks to the top of the head, as well as from the lower part of the face to the top of the head, and from the lower back part of the head to the top). The story of Alick Macheso’s use of his manhood to treat nhova (sunken fontanelle) opened a Pandora’s box. The story not only attracted the attention of critics from diverse cultural and ethical backgrounds, but revealed multi-ethnic positions. That is, reactions were steeped in a multiplicity of intellectual, religious and even cultural grounding. Reactions ranged from accusations of backwardness and absurdity, through to medical and Christian orientations toward the treatment of nhova. The overarching idea is that there is a general tendency to dismiss the age-old practice of kutara,coupled with an uncritical celebration of certain positions. The debate that ensued following publication of the story seemed to revolve around ethical considerations. The school of thought that dismisses kutara with disdain regards it as unethical and unimaginable in the present-day world—it is redolent with insinuations of absurdity on the part of those that live and celebrate it. We contend that the raging debate that followed the publication of the story can best be conceptualised within the context of African ethics. We note that kutara has relevance to the spirituality, ethical values, privacy, and protection of children’s rights, among other ethical issues. It is hoped that the article will stir further debate and encourage more research among information practitioners, scholars and researchers into the ethical issues surrounding the treatment of sunken fontanelle in various African communities. It argues for an Afrocentric conceptualisation of phenomena in order to contribute to debates on the renaissance of African cultures, and stresses that it is imperative to harness the life-furthering age-old traditions in African ontological existence.


Author(s):  
Angèle Flora Mendy

By examining policies of recruiting non-EU/EEA health workers and how ethical considerations are taken into account when employing non-EU/EEA nurses in the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland, this chapter intends to show that the use of the so-called ‘ethical’ argument to convince national public opinion of the relevance of restrictive recruitment policies is recent (since the 1990s). The analysis highlights the fact that in addition to the institutional legacies, qualification and skills—through the process of their recognition—play an important role in the opening or restriction of the labour market to health professionals from the Global South. The legacy of the past also largely determines the place offered to non-EU/EEA health professionals in the different health systems of host countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (05) ◽  
pp. 755-763
Author(s):  
Shibani Kanungo ◽  
Jayne Barr ◽  
Parker Crutchfield ◽  
Casey Fealko ◽  
Neelkamal Soares

Abstract Background Advances in technology and access to expanded genetic testing have resulted in more children and adolescents receiving genetic testing for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. With increased adoption of the electronic health record (EHR), genetic testing is increasingly resulted in the EHR. However, this leads to challenges in both storage and disclosure of genetic results, particularly when parental results are combined with child genetic results. Privacy and Ethical Considerations Accidental disclosure and erroneous documentation of genetic results can occur due to the nature of their presentation in the EHR and documentation processes by clinicians. Genetic information is both sensitive and identifying, and requires a considered approach to both timing and extent of disclosure to families and access to clinicians. Methods This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore ethical issues surrounding privacy, confidentiality of genetic data, and access to genetic results by health care providers and family members, and provides suggestions in a stakeholder format for best practices on this topic for clinicians and informaticians. Suggestions are made for clinicians on documenting and accessing genetic information in the EHR, and on collaborating with genetics specialists and disclosure of genetic results to families. Additional considerations for families including ethics around results of adolescents and special scenarios for blended families and foster minors are also provided. Finally, administrators and informaticians are provided best practices on both institutional processes and EHR architecture, including security and access control, with emphasis on the minimum necessary paradigm and parent/patient engagement and control of the use and disclosure of data. Conclusion The authors hope that these best practices energize specialty societies to craft practice guidelines on genetic information management in the EHR with interdisciplinary input that addresses all stakeholder needs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Seller ◽  
Marie-Ève Bouthillier ◽  
Veronique Fraser

BackgroundMedical aid in dying (MAiD) was introduced in Quebec in 2015. Quebec clinical guidelines recommend that MAiD be approached as a last resort when other care options are insufficient; however, the law sets no such requirement. To date, little is known about when and how requests for MAiD are situated in the broader context of decision-making in end-of-life care; the timing of MAiD raises potential ethical issues.MethodsA retrospective chart review of all MAiD requests between December 2015 and June 2017 at two Quebec hospitals and one long-term care centre was conducted to explore the relationship between routine end-of-life care practices and the timing of MAiD requests.ResultsOf 80 patients requesting MAiD, 54% (43) received the intervention. The median number of days between the request for MAiD and the patient’s death was 6 days. The majority of palliative care consults (32%) came less than 7 days prior to the MAiD request and in another 25% of cases occurred the day of or after MAiD was requested. 35% of patients had no level of intervention form, or it was documented as 1 or 2 (prolongation of life remains a priority) at the time of the MAiD request and 19% were receiving life-prolonging interventions.InterpretationWe highlight ethical considerations relating to the timing of MAiD requests within the broader context of end-of-life care. Whether or not MAiD is conceptualised as morally distinct from other end-of-life options is likely to influence clinicians’ approach to requests for MAiD as well as the ethical importance of our findings. We suggest that in the wake of the 2015 legislation, requests for MAiD have not always appeared to come after an exploration of other options as professional practice guidelines recommend.


2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittoradolfo Tambone ◽  
Gaetano Piccinocchi ◽  
Massimiliano Andrea Vitali

Il medico di Medicina Generale, per la natura della sua professione, si trova spesso di fronte a problematiche etiche e bioetiche molto diverse, almeno in termini di applicazione, da quelle in cui si trovano i medici ospedalieri e che sembrano coinvolgere la Pratica Clinica nel suo complesso (tessuto sociale e familiare, la medicina del territorio). Tali dinamiche, a volte, rimangono ignorate e lontane anche dagli obiettivi didattici del sistema universitario italiano. L’obiettivo di questo studio pilota, è quello di raccogliere dati oggettivi sufficienti per poter organizzare un piano formativo specifico che colleghi il mondo universitario e la medicina del territorio. A tal fine è stato predisposto un questionario dall’analisi del quale emerge che i principali problemi etici percepiti dai medici di Medicina Generale sono la comunicazione di cattive notizie, i problemi familiari associati alle dipendenze (alcol, droghe, eccetera) ed il rapporto con i colleghi. Si può affermare, in base ai dati raccolti, che i problemi legati alla comunicazione (che in Letteratura rappresentano circa il 5% rispetto a quelli abitualmente considerati prioritari nel dibattito bioetico – quali aborto, fecondazione in vitro ed eutanasia) e quelli derivanti dalla difficoltà nel relazionarsi con i problemi accessori a quelli strettamente sanitari, come ad esempio i problemi familiari associati alle dipendenze, sono prioritari nella percezione degli intervistati. È emerso, inoltre, che il sentire la necessità di acquisire strumenti formativi in ambito etico è correlato all’esperienza della difficoltà ad interagire con questa tipologia di problematiche che non varia in funzione degli anni lavorativi trascorsi. Infine è emerso che le attività formative preferite (corsi residenziali, ECM e Master) sono quelle che permettono maggiore relazione formativa interpersonale sia con docenti (relazione verticale), sia con colleghi (relazione orizzontale). Tale tendenza suggerisce di dedicare maggiore attenzione alla formazione relazionale, probabilmente inserendo nella didattica formale moduli specifici di Psicologia Sociale e di Antropologia. ---------- The general practitioner, by nature of his profession, is often faced with many different ethical and bioethical issues from those with which other physicians who work in healthcare facilities are faced with. These problems seem to involve the whole social and family structure and primary healthcare, concerning aspects that are sometimes disregarded and distant even from the learning goals of the Italian university system. The aim of this pilot study is to collect objective data enough to organize a specific training plan that links university to general practice medicine. A questionnaire was therefore developed and submitted in an anonymous form to the participants of the 32nd National Congress of the Italian Society of General Medicine, held in Florence in November of 2011. The analysis of the questionnaires has shown that the main ethical problems perceived among general practitioners are communicating bad news, family problems associated with addictions (alcohol, drugs, etc.) and professional relationships with colleagues. According to the data collected, the following matters are most important for the respondents: problems related to communication (which in literature represent about 5% of the priorities usually considered the bioethical debate – such as abortion, in vitro fertilization and euthanasia) and those arising from the difficulty in incidental problems which are not strictly healthcare related, such as family problems associated with addictions. Furthermore feeling the need to acquire tools and training in ethics is related to experiencing the uneasiness with this kind of problem, and the fact that this uneasiness does not change with the years spent working, suggests that it is constantly present in this professional category. However, as many as 27% of respondents affirm they have not encountered ethical issues during their career. Finally it was found that the preferred learning types (residential courses, CME and post graduate diplomas) are those that allow greater interpersonal or educational relationship with teachers (vertical relationship) and with colleagues (horizontal relationship). This trend suggests to put greater emphasis on relational training possibly by introducing specific courses to Psychology and Social Anthropology in frontal teaching.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Huerne

Background: Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) is a popular and fast-growing field within the healthcare industry. Consumers often pursue DTC-GT without a clear understanding of its epistemic and medical limitations. This report will present the current state of DTC-GT technology, and highlight the ethical, legal and social issues of DTC-GT. Methods: Quantitative methods such as systematic reviews were used to evaluate the field of DTC-GT. Experimental data was taken from randomized control trials and case studies of 23andMe. Qualitative methods such as newspaper articles and surveys were also used. Relevant policies and regulatory information were analyzed in the context of 23andMe. Broader ethical issues are analyzed from the social disability model and feminist ethics frameworks. Results: Several aspects of direct-to-consumer genetic testing are outlined: (i) regulatory and legal distinctions of DTC-GT that separate its use from conventional genetic testing, (ii) epistemic issues of the genetic testing process within the direct-to-consumer context, and (iii) ethical considerations of DTC-GT in regard to genetic health and genetic ancestry. Conclusion: This report does not take a position for or against the use of DTC-GT; rather, it highlights the key ethical issues often missed in the DTC-GT process. There is no perfect method for understanding genetic health and race. DTC-GT offer consumers the ease and power of taking genetic data ‘in their own hands’, at the cost of exacerbating geneticization and race essentialism. Until further work is done to address the epistemic, regulatory and legal issues, ethical implications of DTC-GT usage will continue to exist.


KWALON ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Sergeant ◽  
Leendert van de Merbel

Access to the target group In participatory action research (PAR) the research team should include researchers and experts by experience (and their allies affected by the issue). PAR emphasizes collective inquiry and contribution to changes in policy and practice. In their opening essay Sergeant and Van de Merbel state that it is not enough to promote PAR as a vital way in bringing positive change in policy and practice. In order to conduct PAR in an ethical and just way, one needs to create room, space and time for PAR. PAR is more than a method; it needs time, good overthinking, collaborative reflection, creative research methods, coaching and training for all research group members, and – as Xavier Moonen states in his reply – sometimes also protection of vulnerable people. Moonen argues that this vulnerability should be taken into account and experts by experience should be protected from tokenism and research that does not meet their interests. This means, according to Moonen, that ethical considerations must be made. Gatekeepers should keep in mind that participation is a basic right and that pro’s and con’s should be considered in that light. In reaction to Moonen, Sergeant presents the ‘Working together, learning together’ and the results that come from this research project. She pleads for respecting intergroup-diversity within target groups and for looking beyond procedural ethical issues towards crossing the boundaries between dis- and ability.


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