. See Boylan & Brown, Ch. 2 and the handout of
professional ethics codes. What is a professional code? Guidelines of behavior Link to theories of ethics & behavior Do all swear to it? Many versions: key points 2. Duty to patients- "Do no harm", help to best of
ability, moral, confidential Physicians & non-physicians involved in medical
research Conflicts of interest between patients &
research Multiple interests at stake: Individual vs. team; promotions, grants Helping others vs. basic knowledge Duties vs. personal interest Co-PI: conflict of interests: duty to patients vs.
personal interest in research PI: conflict of interests: management of funds,
management of staff [including Co-PI] vs. friendship
with Co-PI Lab manager: GLP of projects, management under 2 bosses
vs. supervising techs Techs: follow conflicting orders vs. avoiding ethical
violations Surgical staff: potential witness to unethical surgery-
duty to report vs. personal interest Hospital director: confidentiality of ethics violation
report vs. duty to physician community General ethical problems: patient consent, patient
confidentiality, surgical notes as legal documents, fiscal
accountability Relevant facts: Co-PI's understanding of controls,
specific directions by PI; no protocol review [violation
of ethics]; samples of tissue collected-
[violations], surgical nurse hands samples to tech;
recorded surgical notes lacked reference to organ resection
in non-CA patient- [violation]- How should they be
assessed? Other facts: PI unavailable for meeting with lab
staff; lab manager married with children & owned a
house; techs- single or married, no kids, all were
renters [In class discussion of the following steps.] 3. What types of experts and/or stakeholders need to
be consulted? 4. What values are involved? 5. Solutions? How are the better ones chosen? Any
consequences? 6. How should decision making process be
organized? See Fig. 2.3: Value-Duty Relation References: 1. Bruce Jennings, Kathleen Nolan, Courtney S. Campbell,
Strac Donnelley, 1991. New Choices, New Responsibilities:
Ethical Issues in the Life Sciences, Hastings Center,
New York. .
List of common abuses
Physicians: Hippocratic Oath- origins in ancient
Greece1. Duty to profession & community of
professionals
Researchers: Do they/we need a "Hippocratic Oath"?
No common code per se
Conflicts of interest: Boylan & Brown's case of
Judge Goode
Case presentation model: This is a
demonstration of the use of the Hastings Center Model
highlighing a case involving conflicts of interest, among
other things.
Case defined: Lab supported by grants to study
indicators for staging cancer & to establish model cell
lines. New idea by MD/Co-PI for research to identify novel
tumor antigens. Other players: Supervising MD/PI, lab
manager, research techs, surgical staff, hospital director,
patients. Materials needed: normal & cancerous
tissue.
1. Key issues & dilemmas; ethical problems
2. Background: Project design & protocols-
Research Subject Protection Committee review required for
any work involving human subjects, IACUC review required for
any work involving animals; controls defined: matching type
of tissue vs. matching individual's normal vs. malignant
tissue; specific restrictions of grant funds [requiring
committee review] vs. more general uses [exploratory
projects]
What are the duties to future generations of humans; to
other organisms; to the environment?Removing "bad" genes; monoculture of plants;
etc.
Updated 2/17/03 by thatcher@sonoma.edu