Informed Consent In Clinical Research

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As was stated earlier, informed consent is an integral part of clinical research. Informed consent is the when participants are educated regarding what will happen during the study and are given the opportunity for voluntary participation (“IRB Training,” n.d.). The people involved in the study should have the autonomy to decide if they will continue on with the study and know the risks and benefits of participation. It is essential to obtain this prior to clinical research because it exhibits a respect for the person involved and allows them to have the ability to make decisions for himself or herself. The essential parts of informed consent are information, comprehension, and voluntary participation (“IRB Training,” n.d.). This states that …show more content…

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the committee that reviews and approves all research that involves human subjects to ensure ethical treatment and preservation of rights (“Humans – Overview,” n.d.). This type of approval is required when working with any human participants in clinical research. The IRB is made up of individuals from different fields, such as faculty members, researchers, and members of the community (“Humans – Overview,” n.d.). They are able to make decisions regarding whether or not a study may be approved. However, no research study can begin until it receives the approval from the IRB (“Humans – Overview,” n.d.). The history of unethical treatment has led to the establishment of various guidelines in the field of clinical research involving humans. There are also a set of guidelines involved in the treatment of animals during …show more content…

One common misconception is that animals have nothing in common with humans, so the research is useless. However, there are various biological similarities between humans and animals when it comes to organ function and human conditions can be modeled in animals (“FAQ About,” 2016). Although they are not identical, the effects of drugs in animals can simulate those that can be potentially seen in their human counterparts. Another misconception is that most research is done on cats, dogs, and primates. In fact, most research (95%) is done on mice, rats, birds, and fish and less than 1% is done on cats, dogs, and primates (“FAQ About,” 2016). This misunderstanding could be due to the amount of publicity certain research studies involving primates receive. A final misconception is that all animals suffer during their involvement in research studies. Just like with humans, researchers try their best to minimize the risks involved with the experiment. Additionally, there are many regulations regarding this activity and are overlooked by the IACUC and protected by the Animal Welfare Act (“FAQ about,” 2016). Nonetheless, it is easy to have misunderstandings regarding the treatment of animals in these

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