The Belmont Report
The
report emphasizes on a set of principles aimed at regulating the modern medical
fraternity in its provision of healthcare and research ("Principles of the
Belmont Report," n.d.). The principles embedded within emphasize respect
for the voluntary nature of participation in research, valid and informed
consent and the need for the investigator to guarantee and ensure the welfare
of the participants. The ethical principles as stipulated in the report are as
follows.
Ø Respect
for persons- the principle has two considerations. First, the research
participant is to be treated as an autonomous being. Second, the law requires
protection of those incapable of making decisions such as children and the sick
from coercion by others. Respect demands that participants enter a research
program voluntary and well-informed concerning the research goals.
Ø Beneficence-
involves doing well to the individual. The principle requires doing no harm and
increase the benefits while minimizing the possible damages. The principle
obligates the society and the investigator. The community is needed to think
about the long-term advantages and risks of the program while the researchers
are required to plan for maximizing profits and minimizing risks.
Ø Justice-
the report outlines the benefits and harms to the participants of the research.
The principle requires that the harms and benefits of the research be uniformly
distributed. Constant monitoring of research participants is required to
determine whether a systematic selection approach is adopted only due to
availability or due to vulnerability or manipulation. Justice ensures that
reasons pertaining to the research are used in the selection process.
The
above three principles regulate the application of comprehensive ethical
principles in research that involves human participants. However, a critical
ingredient in the respect for the rights of the members is the informed consent
theory ("Belmont Report | HHS.gov," n.d.). The consent document
stipulates in summation the information to be provided to the member.
References
The Belmont Report | HHS.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html
The Principles of the Belmont Report. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.brynmawr.edu/ceo/students/ethics/belmontreport.html
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