The three basic codes of ethical guidelines that protect humans in biomedical research studies are: 1) respect for people (they are treated autonomously and they are protected), 2) beneficence (they are treated ethically and protected from harm), and 3) justice (no burden is imposed and a general understanding of equality is applied). These principles are outlined in The Belmont Report (1979).
In the early 1970’s it was ascertained that the protection of human participants in medical research was (and continues to be) very important because people need to be fully aware of their legal rights when they give consent to participate in any research program. People should be fully knowledgeable of the details and the purpose of the experiment that they are participating in (The Nuremburg Code, 2005).
All the codes outlined are critical in order to protect people who participate in research programs. This is because everyone needs to have a basic right of knowledge – their personal details and experiences must be dealt with in a discreet and professional manner. If the person involved has any concern in terms of their continued involvement because it would compromise their physical or psychological health then they have a right to terminate their involvement.
Many other considerations come into play with human participants in medical research. The risks, burdens and benefits of involving human subjects are a key consideration, as are many of the associated research protocols (WMA, 2016).
All of the codes of ethics when dealing with human participants are necessary because they safeguard human rights and ensure that people who give up some semblance of their personal freedom for the good of medical research are at least partially protected. Risks and benefits must always be balanced, but it is very important to ensure that peoples’ right are not compromised. People need to be fully aware of the implications of their participation in research projects.
Work Cited
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. April 18, 1979. “The Belmont Report”. http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belmont.html. April 18, 1979. Web, 3 April, 2016.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Nov.7, 2005. “The Nuremberg Code.” http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/archive/nurcode.html. Nov.7, 2005. Web, 3 April, 2016.
WMA; World Medical Association Inc., 2016. “WMA Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.” http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/ 2016. Web, 3 April, 2016.
