NSU Research Contributions

Title : Ethics in Health Care:Inducement and Human Subjects

Authors : Md. Munir Hossain Talukder

Abstract : Currently, most health researchers or donor organizations consider inducement as a vital part in promoting research. They propose benefits, such as post research free medical treatment, food, insurance facilities, or even cash, in order to meet sufficient number of subjects. So, inducement may influence one to participate in a research. Is it ethical to offer inducement to human subjects? What are the risks in such practice? What will happen if the donor agencies use subjects by hiding possible risks from them? When an inducement can satisfy ethical criteria? The CIOMS, FDA, and other ethical guidelines hold that inducement is unethical because it involves enough risk for voluntary informed consent. Supporting this position, a group of ethicists has argued that inducement undermines voluntariness especially when subjects are poor and vulnerable, and thus, unethical. In contrast to them, others argue that inducement contributes to discover new knowledge which can improve miserable condition of the poor. In their view, an inducement maintains all ethical criteria including subject’s autonomy, and therefore, morally permissible. The paper focuses this debate and analyzes both types of argument. It examines whether inducement invalidate informed consent. Even if inducement may not violate the basic components of informed consent, the paper concludes, subjects may claim a prima facie right to enjoy research outcomes.

Journal : AGATHOS: An International Review of the Humanities and Social Sciences	Volume : 2	Year : 2011	Issue : 1
Pages : 118-129	City :	Edition :	Editors :
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