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  • Essay / The importance of informed consent in research

    Informed consent is an ethical and legal requirement for research involving human participants. This is the process by which a participant is informed of all aspects of the trial that are important for them to make a decision and, after studying all aspects of the trial, the participant voluntarily confirms their willingness to participate in a particular clinical trial and importance of research to the advancement of medical knowledge and social welfare. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Humans should be treated as autonomous agents, who have the freedom to lead their lives as they choose, without external controls. Subjects are treated as autonomous agents in a study if the researcher informed them about the study, allowed them to choose whether or not to participate, and allowed them to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty (Levine, 1986). The concept of informed consent is rooted in the principles of the Nuremberg Code, the Declaration of Helsinki and the Belmont Report. Informed consent is an inevitable requirement before any research involving a human being as a study subject. Obtaining consent involves informing the subject of their rights, the purpose of the study, the procedures to be undertaken, the potential risks and benefits of participation, the expected duration of the study, the degree of confidentiality of personal identification and demographic data, so that the subjects' participation in the study is completely voluntary. Human rights are claims and demands that have been justified in the eyes of an individual or by the consensus of a group of people. Nurses who critique published studies, review the conduct of research in their agencies, or assist in the collection of data for a study have an ethical responsibility to determine whether the rights of research subjects are protected. Human rights that must be protected in research are the rights to self-determination, privacy, anonymity and confidentiality, fair treatment, and freedom from discomfort and harm. There are several issues related to informed consent in research involving human subjects. There is a problem with people whose autonomy is diminished when they are vulnerable and less advantaged due to legal or mental incompetence, terminal illness, or incarceration in an institution such as prisoners ( Levigne, 1986). These individuals need additional protection of their right to self-determination due to their diminished capacity or inability to provide informed consent. Additionally, these individuals are vulnerable to coercion that occurs when one person intentionally presents an overt threat of harm or excessive reward to another to gain compliance. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. .Obtaining a custom trialWhen research involves children (under 18 years of age), consent/permission must be obtained from parents. Often, a child's capacity to give consent is operationalized based on their age, with incompetence being irrefutable until the age of 7 (Broome, 1999). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regulations require “soliciting the consent of children (when capable) and the permission of their parents or guardians.” Assent means the affirmative agreement of a child to participate in research. During a study, the..