Module 2 Introduction to Bioethics

4 Principles of Bioethics

-Respect for Autonomy

-Nonmaleficence

-Beneficence

-Justice

Respect for Autonomy

principle requiring respect for the decision making capacities for autonomous persons

Nonmaleficence

principle requiring the avoidance of causing harm to others

Beneficence

a group of principles requiring both lessening of and prevention of harm as well as provision of benefits to others

Justice

group of principles requiring fair distribution of benefits, risks, and costs across all affected parties

What are the conditions for autonomy?

Liberty and agency

Liberty

the absence of controlling influences

Agency

self-initiated intentional action

The Nuremberg Trial

From 1945 to 1946, Nazi Germany leaders stood trial for crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing crimes.

Nuremberg Code

a set of ethical guidelines for medical research involving human subjects.

The Hippocratic Oath

-Don’t kill

-Don’t cause pain or suffering to others

-Don’t incapacitate others

Declaration of Helsinki

focuses on obligations of the physician-investigator to research subjects and outlines principles for conducting medical research involving human subjects, emphasizing informed consent

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

a notorious clinical study conducted between 1932 and 1972 that involved unethical treatment of African American men with syphilis, who were misled and denied treatment to study the disease's progression.

Guatemala Syphilis Experiments

A series of unethical medical experiments conducted between 1946 and 1948, where Guatemalan prisoners and vulnerable populations were intentionally infected with syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases without informed consent.

Radiation Experiments

refers to unethical studies conducted in the mid-20th century exposing vulnerable populations to radiation without their consent, often to observe biological effects.

Willowbrook experiements

A series of unethical studies conducted from the 1950s to 1970s at the Willowbrook State School in New York, where children with intellectual disabilities were deliberately infected with hepatitis to study the disease's natural history.

Vulnerable Populations

Children, prisoners, pregnant women, mentally disabled persons, and economically or educational disadvantaged persons

Common Rule

The Common Rule is a federal policy in the United States, established to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research. It outlines the requirements for informed consent, ethical review, and additional protections for vulnerable populations.

Broad Consent

a specific form of consent used primarily in research involving human subjects where the exact nature and scope of future research may not be clearly defined at the time of consent

National Research Act

Legislation enacted in 1974 that established ethical guidelines for research involving human subjects and led to the creation of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).

The Belmont Report

A foundational document in bioethics published in 1979 that outlines ethical principles and guidelines for research involving human subjects, emphasizing respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.