An Ethical Analysis Of The Disclosure Of Surgeons' Performance Data To Patients Within The Informed Consent Process
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$148,937.00
Summary
For over a decade, hospitals in the American state of New York have been collecting information about the mortality rates of surgeons conducting Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts, and making this information available to patients. The United Kingdom is set to make these and other performance indicators on the ability of surgeons ('report cards') available from 2004. There are good reasons to think a similar system may be introduced in Australia in the near future. Patients can use the information co ....For over a decade, hospitals in the American state of New York have been collecting information about the mortality rates of surgeons conducting Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts, and making this information available to patients. The United Kingdom is set to make these and other performance indicators on the ability of surgeons ('report cards') available from 2004. There are good reasons to think a similar system may be introduced in Australia in the near future. Patients can use the information contained in report cards when deciding whether or not to consent to have a particular surgeon conduct an operation on them. Contemporary bioethicists stress the importance of a proper informed consent process in medicine. This is a process in which a doctor advises a patient of relevant information and ensures that the patient comprehends that information, before the patient consents to an operation. Currently report cards in America are publicly disseminated on the internet, however there is no systematic attempt to incorporate the information contained in report cards into the informed consent process. We do not know if patients understand the information they are given, or if they incorporate it into their decision making procedures appropriately. In our study we will consider how information that is contained in report cards could best be used in the informed consent process. We will keep in mind the importance of helping patients to make their own informed decisions to consent to operations, the importance of respecting the professional integrity of surgeons and the importance of providing the best possible standard of care for patients. The result of our study will be a revised model of the informed consent process that incorporates report cards in an ethically acceptable way.Read moreRead less
Local Public Health Ethics: New Theoretical And Applied Tools For Community-based Health Research Governance And Ethics.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$236,326.00
Summary
Bioethics has not delivered the local ethical resources needed for public health research in community settings. This program will develop and test a new framework and practical tools for research governance and responses to ethical challenges in community-based public health research. It will deliver a new public health ethics system, policy and practice resources to suit the multi-disciplinarity of the modern public health research field.
An Investigation Of The Relationship Between The Pharmaceutical Industry, Medical Profession And Medical Practitioners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$186,449.00
Summary
In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in the number and range of interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession. While this has the potential to advance research, education and health care, there are risks that such interactions may inappropriately serve commercial objectives and ultimately compromise the best interests of patients and society in general. Most major medical and pharmaceutical organisations have released guidelines of policy statements on t ....In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in the number and range of interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession. While this has the potential to advance research, education and health care, there are risks that such interactions may inappropriately serve commercial objectives and ultimately compromise the best interests of patients and society in general. Most major medical and pharmaceutical organisations have released guidelines of policy statements on the relationship between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry. To date most debate has taken the form of personal observations or professional opinion , and there has been little objective research into medical industry interactions. This project aims to examine the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry, the medical profession and the medical practitioners. Specifically, the aim of this project is to establish whether this relationship as it currently exists, and as stated in guidelines from professional bodies, is appropriate in terms of justifiable ethical standards, empirical research and social perspectives. The results of this research will enable assessment of current guidelines and the development of further guidelines and regular process where appropriate.Read moreRead less
Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce t ....Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce the impact of biological, social and environmental factors which diminish life potential in drug addicted persons. The innovative features of this project will enhance Australia's international reputation in bioethics and moral psychology, extend the reach of experimental philosophy, and facilitate future interdisciplinary work.Read moreRead less