scholarly journals Addressing ethical issues in H3Africa research – the views of research ethics committee members

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jantina de Vries ◽  
◽  
Akin Abayomi ◽  
Katherine Littler ◽  
Ebony Madden ◽  
...  
2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmira Petrova ◽  
Jan Dewing ◽  
Michelle Camilleri

Aim: This article presents key ethical challenges that were encountered when conducting a participatory qualitative research project with a very specific, small group of nurses, in this case with practice development nurses in Malta. Background: With the small number of nurses employed in practice development roles in Malta, there are numerous difficulties of maintaining confidentiality. Poorly constructed interventions by the researcher could have resulted in detrimental effects to research participants and the overall trustworthiness of the research. Generally, ethical guidelines for research exist to reinforce validity of research; however, there is not an established consensus on how these strategies can be utilised in some types of qualitative field work. Research design: The researcher used an exploratory case study methodology. The sample consisted of 10 participants who were interviewed twice using face-to-face interviews, over a period of 2 months. Ethical considerations: The study was ethically reviewed by the University Research Ethics Committee and the Faculty Research Ethics Committee, University of Malta. The participants referred to in this article have been given adequate information about the study and their consent has been obtained. Discussion: Numerous strategies for ensuring confidentiality during recruitment of the participants, during data collection, during transcription and data analysis and during dissemination of research results assisted the researcher in responding to potential and actual ethical issues. Conclusion: This article emphasises the main strategies that can be used to respond to ethical challenges when researching with a small easily identifiable group. The learning discussed here may be relevant to or even transferable to other similar research studies or research contexts. These methods fostered a greater credibility throughout the research process and predisposed the participants to greater trust, and thus, they disclosed their experiences and speak more freely, thus enhancing the quality of the study.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pornpimon Adams ◽  
Sukanya Prakobtham ◽  
Chanthima Limpattaracharoen ◽  
Sumeth Suebtrakul ◽  
Pitchapa Vutikes ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
David B. Resnik

Employees and students often participate in research conducted or supported by investigators at their organizations or institutions. Most of these studies do not provide direct benefits to participants, but some do. While these studies offer potential benefits for society, they raise ethical issues related to coercion, undue influence, privacy, confidentiality, and risk. Investigators should pay special attention to these issues when designing and implementing studies. Relatedly, research ethics committee members should address these issues when reviewing or overseeing studies. This chapter will both review the ethical issues related to including employees and students in research and discuss some practices and policies for protecting their rights and welfare.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Marcelle Koutio Douanla ◽  
Paul Nyibio Ntsekendio ◽  
Frank Forex Kiadjieu Dieumo ◽  
Felicité Tabala Naah ◽  
Fernando Kemta Lekpa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The capacity of the Research Ethic Committee (REC) members to review research protocol is one of the frequently raised problems. The purpose of this study was to assess training needs of members of research ethics committee in Cameroon regarding research participant protection.Methods It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in all the regions of Cameroon during the last quarter of the year 2020, assessing training needs of REC members’ ethical evaluation of health research protocols. Data were collected from all eligible REC members by trained and supervised surveyors using a well designed questionnaire integrated in smartphones via ODK-collect. The data were analyzed by estimating proportions with 95% Confidence Interval using the EpiInfo software version 7.2.2.6.Findings Out of the 79 ethics committee members reached, 64 (81.01%) accepted to participate including 28 (43.75) female. The result showed that,21 (32.81%) of ethics committee members were not trained in research ethics evaluation including 68.75% not exposed to training on research participants protection during clinical trials. A given fraction of respondent was not aware of the existence of key national regulations (25%) and international guidelines like the Helsinki Declaration (32.81%). Participants identified and ranked their priorities in terms of training needs in research participant’s protection, national text regulating research in Cameroon, evaluations’ procedures of research protocol, organization of research in Cameroon, and protection of participants in research involving the transfer of biological materials. The workshop and e-learning courses were seen to be the main accessible source of training.Conclusion Not all ethics committee members received training on ethical principles regarding research ethics review, review process and monitoring of research protocols, and on ethical issues associated to each study design including clinical trials. These gaps and the needs perceived by participants are to be taken into account when setting up a training program for RECs members on ethical evaluation in Cameroon.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 686-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rini Rachmawaty

Background: Action-oriented research is one of the most frequent research types implemented to transform community health in Indonesia. Three researchers and 11 graduate students from a developed country in East Asia conducted a fieldwork program in a remote area in South Sulawesi Province. Although the project was completed, whether or not the international standards for human subject research were applied into that study remains unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to examine ethical issues raised from that case, analyze constraints to the problems, and recommend alternatives to protect vulnerable populations from being exploited by local/international researchers. Methods: A problem-solving approach was used in this study. It began with problem identification, evaluation of the action-oriented research goal, investigation of the constraints to the problem, and recommendation of some relevant alternatives to address the central issue. Ethical Consideration: The approval for conducting the action-oriented research that being investigated in this work was only obtained from the Head of local district. Results: Some ethical issues were found in this case. No special protection for this population, no informed consent was obtained from the participants, exposure to social and economic risks, no future benefits for the subjects, and conflict of interests. Lack of control from the local research ethics committee and lack of competence of local researchers on human subject research were considered as the constraints to the problems. Discussion: Creating an independent research ethics committee, providing research ethics training to the local researchers, obtaining written/video consents from underserved populations, and meeting local health needs were recommended alternatives to solve these problems. Conclusion: Indonesian government bodies should reform their international collaborative system on research involving human subjects. Exploitation may not occur if all participants as well as all local and national governing bodies understand the research ethics on human subjects and apply it into their practice.


Author(s):  
Annabelle Cumyn ◽  
Roxanne Dault ◽  
Adrien Barton ◽  
Anne-Marie Cloutier ◽  
Jean-François Ethier

A survey was conducted to assess citizens, research ethics committee members, and researchers’ attitude toward information and consent for the secondary use of health data for research within learning health systems (LHSs). Results show that the reuse of health data for research to advance knowledge and improve care is valued by all parties; consent regarding health data reuse for research has fundamental importance particularly to citizens; and all respondents deemed important the existence of a secure website to support the information and consent processes. This survey was part of a larger project that aims at exploring public perspectives on alternate approaches to the current consent models for health data reuse to take into consideration the unique features of LHSs. The revised model will need to ensure that citizens are given the opportunity to be better informed about upcoming research and have their say, when possible, in the use of their data.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e044628
Author(s):  
Mhairi Karen Brown ◽  
Suzana Shahar ◽  
Yee Xing You ◽  
Viola Michael ◽  
Hazreen Abdul Majid ◽  
...  

IntroductionCurrent salt intake in Malaysia is high. The existing national salt reduction policy has faced slow progress and does not yet include measures to address the out of home sector. Dishes consumed in the out of home sector are a known leading contributor to daily salt intake. This study aims to develop a salt reduction strategy, tailored to the out of home sector in Malaysia.Methods and analysisThis study is a qualitative analysis of stakeholder views towards salt reduction. Participants will be recruited from five zones of Malaysia (Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern regions and East Malaysia), including policy-makers, non-governmental organisations, food industries, school canteen operators, street food vendors and consumers, to participate in focus group discussions or in-depth interviews. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Barriers will be identified and used to develop a tailored salt reduction strategy.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Research Ethics Committee (UKM PPI/1118/JEP-2020–524), the Malaysian National Medical Research Ethics Committee (NMRR-20-1387-55481 (IIR)) and Queen Mary University of London Research Ethics Committee (QMERC2020/37) . Results will be presented orally and in report form and made available to the relevant ministries for example, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Trade to encourage adoption of strategy as policy. The findings of this study will be disseminated through conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and webinars.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e041695
Author(s):  
Catherine Elliott ◽  
Caroline Alexander ◽  
Alison Salt ◽  
Alicia J Spittle ◽  
Roslyn N Boyd ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe current diagnostic pathways for cognitive impairment rarely identify babies at risk before 2 years of age. Very early detection and timely targeted intervention has potential to improve outcomes for these children and support them to reach their full life potential. Early Moves aims to identify early biomarkers, including general movements (GMs), for babies at risk of cognitive impairment, allowing early intervention within critical developmental windows to enable these children to have the best possible start to life.Method and analysisEarly Moves is a double-masked prospective cohort study that will recruit 3000 term and preterm babies from a secondary care setting. Early Moves will determine the diagnostic value of abnormal GMs (at writhing and fidgety age) for mild, moderate and severe cognitive delay at 2 years measured by the Bayley-4. Parents will use the Baby Moves smartphone application to video their babies’ GMs. Trained GMs assessors will be masked to any risk factors and assessors of the primary outcome will be masked to the GMs result. Automated scoring of GMs will be developed through applying machine-based learning to the data and the predictive value for an abnormal GM will be investigated. Screening algorithms for identification of children at risk of cognitive impairment, using the GM assessment (GMA), and routinely collected social and environmental profile data will be developed to allow more accurate prediction of cognitive outcome at 2 years. A cost evaluation for GMA implementation in preparation for national implementation will be undertaken including exploring the relationship between cognitive status and healthcare utilisation, medical costs, health-related quality of life and caregiver burden.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been granted by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of Joondalup Health Services and the Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (1902) of Curtin University (HRE2019-0739).Trial registration numberACTRN12619001422112.


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