The use of panoramic viewing system in relaxing retinotomy and retinectomy

BACKGROUND: It can be argued that the ethical conduct of research involves achieving a balance between the rights and needs of three parties-potential research participants, society, and researchers. Local Research Ethics Committees (LRECs) have a number of roles and functions in the research enterprise, but there have been some indications that LREC members, researchers and the public can have different views about these responsibilities. Any such differences are potential sources of disagreement and misunderstanding. OBJECTIVES: To compare the views of LREC members, researchers and the public towards the roles and functions of LRECs. DESIGN: A questionnaire that contained items concerned with a variety of such roles was distributed to general practice patients (as proxies for potential research participants), researchers and LREC members. FINDINGS: While general practice patients believed that the main function of LRECs is to ensure that research participants come to no harm, LREC members were more concerned with the protection of participants' rights. There was also some disagreement between members and researchers with regard to the consideration of proposals on the grounds of scientific merit. CONCLUSIONS: Local Research Ethics Committee members need to be aware of potential differences in views, that they ought to make their priorities clear, and that membership of LRECs ought to reflect the views of both researchers and potential research participants.     

Using deception ethically: Practical research guidelines for researchers and reviewers.

This article reviews highlights in the literature on existing recommendations for ethical use of deception in psychological research. We conclude that ethical guidelines and aspirational statements set out by research policies and advisory panels on ethics must eventually be operationalized into concrete terms when introducing deception into a research design. Specific directives for using deception are especially important for new researchers developing projects and also for university/departmental reviewers who are being asked to evaluate the ethical standing of proposed research. We offer a checklist designed to cultivate the understanding of junior researchers and to facilitate the review process by instantiating the relevant general guidelines into a set of Y/N questions about intended research. Finally, the article presents empirical data from researchers and ethics reviewers who provided end-user evaluations of the tool. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subject, project or self? Thoughts on ethical dilemmas for social and medical researchers

In this paper we address an important but sadly neglected area; namely some of the ethical issues which arise for social and medical researchers in the course of their work. Our concern is for a wide spectrum of researchers using the full range of social research methods from small-scale in-depth qualitative work through to large scale quantitative studies. The unifying factor is that they all have an element of contact and hence the potential for interaction between the researcher and the subject. In our experience (with the exception of some ethnographers) few if any social researchers will have had adequate training about the interactional aspects of their work. As a result they are unprepared for the ethical dilemmas and conflict of loyalties which they might experience. To understand these issues it is important to look at the context within which such research is undertaken.     

Comment on Gilbert.

Comments on the article by S. J. Gilbert (January, 1983) regarding the work of institutional review boards and the ethics of research with human subjects. Gilbert argues that until researchers can learn to take ethical issues in research seriously as ethical and not merely political problems, those same researchers are likely to be mystified by objections to their protocols. The solution is not to psychologize the committees, but for psychologists to do some honest reflection on the ethics of their own research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Establishing mechanisms to conduct multi-institutional research--fatigue in patients with cancer: an exercise intervention

PURPOSES/OBJECTIVES: To describe the process of establishing a multi-institutional interdisciplinary team of oncology researchers and conducting a pilot study of an exercise intervention for fatigue. DATA SOURCES: Project meeting minutes and records, research team members' logs, subjects' research records, the research study proposal, and team members' individual and collective shared experiences. DATA SYNTHESIS: Site investigators established research teams at five academic medical centers. Fifty subjects were enrolled in the study and tested during their cancer treatment. Study methods, including instrumentation, were evaluated carefully and revised. CONCLUSIONS: The multi-institutional network of researchers is an effective and efficient model for testing an intervention to manage fatigue during cancer treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Exercise is a feasible and potentially beneficial intervention to combat distressing cancer treatment-related fatigue. A pilot study is essential to determine the best methods for conducting a clinical trial and to develop the teams of researchers necessary for such a project.     

Ethical dilemmas in qualitative research: how do we respect autonomy?

This essay brings the concept of nursing research into light and in particular examines the principle of 'respect for autonomy', its relationship and limitations in the field of research on human subjects during qualitative research. This essay will also identify how ethical dilemmas, involving respect for autonomy, can develop during research and a systematical method of critical ethical analysis will be presented to demonstrate how nurse researchers can resolve such issues, if and when they arise. It is necessary to focus on one facet of the research process to illustrate the 'depth' of consideration required to ensure that such research is of the highest quality.     

Introducing ethics to beginning psychologists: A problem-solving approach.

Beginning and practicing psychologists both need more exposure to ethical training experiences. A new Canadian code of ethics provides an opportunity for universities to review their approach to this experience for students in clinical and counseling psychology. In the Canadian code, four basic ethical principles, followed by value statements and standards of behavior, are proposed. This structure provides a useful framework for ethics education. In addition, the problem-solving approach to ethical and moral dilemmas provides a better decision-making process for new psychologists than does simple exposure to professional behavior guidelines. The approach used at the University of Alberta is presented with the recommendation that ethical instruction focus on personal values and the process of informed decision making as well as learning "correct" responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kinetic study of apo B100 containing lipoprotein metabolism using amino acids labeled with stable isotopes: methodological aspects

Kinetic disturbances of lipoprotein metabolism are important to know for a better understanding of lipid diseases or effects of drugs. These kinetic aspects were previously studied with radioactive tracers. The ethical concerns related to these tracers can be now overcome at a reasonable cost with the new development of small bench top mass spectrometers and the increased production of stable isotope tracers. In this review, we will discuss some methodological aspects related to stable isotope tracers and the analysis of the data with non-compartmental or compartmental models.     

Monitoring of health research by ethics committees

AIMS: All health related research carried out within New Zealand requires appraisal from an accredited ethics committee. The purpose of this project was to pilot an active monitoring programme and to assess the effectiveness of such a programme for future monitoring by ethics committees. METHODS: In this qualitative study interviews were undertaken by representatives from the Wellington and Manawatu-Whanganui ethics committees with principal investigators for sixteen research proposals which had been given ethical approval from the appropriate ethics committee. Issues discussed during the interviews included the protocol and any changes to the methods or research personnel, recruitment of participants, issues arising from informed consent, reporting of adverse events, funding and payment to researchers. Researchers were given the opportunity to provide feedback on the ethical review process and suggestions for improvement. RESULTS: The most significant deviation from the approved protocol concerned access to patient information. Some minor discrepancies between the approved protocols and subsequent research undertaken and the requirements for extending ethical approval of projects beyond the initial approval date were also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The monitoring programme fulfilled an educational role, providing an opportunity for information sharing between ethics committees and researchers. An active monitoring programme by an ethics committee can detect deviations from the approved protocol beyond the current requirements for researchers to provide annual progress reports. Future monitoring should include, where relevant, access to consent forms and patients' notes.     

Research into the psychosocial aspects of ENT tumor surgery (excluding laryngectomy). 4: Status of research and future research goals

The literature on the psychosocial aspects of head and neck cancer surgery from 1950 to 1995 was reviewed in four parts. In the present Part 4 ten possibly useful targets for future research are formulated: 1. An increase in the comparability of research data; 2. Comparisons of therapeutic alternatives; 3. Identification of psychosocial high-risk patients; 4. Studies on psychotherapeutic interventions; 5. Expanded of the knowledge about preventive work; 6. Searches for new possibilities for widening communication by the treating team; 7. Better understanding of ethical restrictions to surgery; 8. Exploration of psychosocial factors with potentially etiologic importance; 9. Methods for using qualitative approaches to research; 10. Creation of a community of researchers.     

Comparative effects of lisinopril and losartan on insulin sensitivity in the treatment of non diabetic hypertensive patients

There are many researchers engaged in qualitative research who look to experts in this mode of inquiry to validate their findings. But can any outsider, even an "expert" in qualitative research, do this? Such an expert is unlikely to know the data as well or to be as fully immersed in the project as the researcher. There are different kinds of expertise that may be required for different phases and purposes of research, and to satisfy different epistemological and ethical concerns. Moreover, new modes of participatory research have complicated the role of expert and the idea of expertise. Researchers must be judicious in their claims to expert validation, and experts must move researchers away from a preoccupation with validation toward craftsmanship and accountability to diverse communities.     

Therapists' psychological adaptation to client suicide.

Explores psychotherapists' complex reactions to client suicide, focusing on therapists' psychological adaptation (i.e., emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses) and therapists' life experiences. Based on a literature review and research findings, implications are identified for therapists, supervisors, and researchers. Suggestions to therapists include using personal and professional supports and participating in a postsuicide review in response to a client suicide. The primary task for supervisors is to create experiences that will positively impact therapists' beliefs about their professional role. Researchers are encouraged to increase the quality of their research designs, attend to findings in related fields, and investigate neglected areas identified by the author. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reconceptualizing rigour: the case for reflexivity

This paper is a critical review of recent discussions of rigour in nursing research. We will argue that 'borrowing' evaluation criteria from one paradigm of inquiry and applying them to another is problematic. We attempt to map the 'rigour' field and add a dimension to the existing debate about rigour and qualitative research through inclusion of reflexivity guided by philosophical hermeneutics. We describe reflexivity and appeal to writers to incorporate a reflexive account into their research product by signposting to readers 'what is going on' while researching. We contend that researchers bring to the research product, data generated, a range of literature, a positioning of this literature, a positioning of oneself, and moral socio-political contexts. We suggest that reflexive research is characterized by ongoing self-critique and self-appraisal and that the research product can be given shape by the politics of location and positioning. We emphasize that in the creation of a text (the research product) it is desirable that the researcher be a skilled writer. Finally we claim that if the research product is well signposted, the readers will be able to travel easily through the worlds of the participants and makers of the text (the researchers) and decide for themselves whether the text is believable or plausible (our terms for rigour).     

The families of problem drug users: a study of 50 close relatives

The research described in this paper resulted from a collaborative multi-centre study of the relatives of problem drug users involving six practitioners and researchers, in four centres within the south-west of England. The objective of this research was simply to interview 50 close relatives of identified problem drug users, with the identification occurring through clinics and self-help groups. Quantitative and qualitative results show that large numbers of these relatives reported many negative experiences. The partners of illicit drug users reported both more and differently patterned problematic behaviours than those of prescribed tranquillizer users. The partners of illicit users also reported different problems to those of the parents. Relatives reported many negative effects in terms of how they viewed the drug user, and how the experiences had affected their health. They also described various coping mechanisms, and the extent of the support which they had received. The results are discussed in terms of coping, and similarity with research into the families of problem drinkers.     

Properties of whole saliva and dental plaque in relation to 40-month consumption of chewing gums containing xylitol, sorbitol of sucrose

The concern with nursing research in the future work of nurse graduates. Expectations from the viewpoint of the nurse researcher. Keeping in mind the concerns which occupy nurse researchers now and in the future, expectations are raised of the graduates of degree programmes in nursing science which are now also being established in the Federal Republic of Germany. This takes into account the structurally determined areas of self determined action in new fields of professional practice. Nurse graduates will be seen as "change agents" in their future areas of work and will have three essential aspects of involvement with nursing research: 1. they themselves will conduct research 2. they will receive, put into practice and transmit results of nursing research 3. they will initiate and commission nursing research projects. According to the broad topics of nursing research, requirements for nurses to act as professionals in their new working fields are formulated referring to the given structural conditions in Germany.     

The rights of the subject in social research: An analysis in terms of relative power and legitimacy.

Contends that most ethical problems in social research arise because Ss are deficient in power relative to social scientists and other participants in the research process. S's disadvantaged position within the social system and research situation is discussed, and criteria for assuring that researchers use their power legitimately are proposed. A detailed analysis is presented of ethical problems related to social research processes (e.g., invasion of S's privacy) and products (e.g., counterinsurgency activities in developing countries), and corrective approaches are suggested. (28 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

End-of-life issues: a survey of English-speaking Canadian nurses in AIDS care

This anonymous postal survey explored attitudes and experiences concerning end-of-life decisions. Respondents were English-speaking members of the Canadian Association for Nurses in AIDS Care (CANAC) and other nurses identified as working primarily in HIV/AIDS settings. Seventy-three percent believed that the law should be changed to allow physicians to practice voluntary euthanasia (VE) and assisted suicide (AS). Fifty-three percent indicated that nurses should be allowed to practice VE and AS. Although VE and AS are illegal, fewer than one in five nurses would report a colleague whom they knew to be involved in such acts. More than one in five nurses have received requests from patients to hasten their deaths by VE. Nearly 98% believe that the nursing profession should be involved in policy development concerning VE and AS, and nearly 78% believe that nurses should be involved in the decision-making process with patients if such acts were legal. Given that ethical codes for Canadian nurses promote client self-determination and that nurses are the largest group of care providers for the terminally ill, the profession must promote discussion and research if it is to take a leadership role with respect to end-of-life issues.     

Outcomes of mental health care for children and adolescents: II. Literature review and application of a comprehensive model

OBJECTIVE: Using a comprehensive model of outcomes, the authors review the scientific literature to determine the extent of knowledge concerning the outcomes of mental health care for children and adolescents. METHOD: Previous research is examined to determine the degree to which it addresses five salient outcome domains: symptoms/diagnoses, functioning, consumer perspectives, environments, and systems (the SFCES model). RESULTS: Despite numerous studies, only 38 met minimal scientific criteria. They generally fall into two categories, according either to their focus on the efficacy of treatment(s) for specific disorders or the effectiveness of a particular service or service system. Only two studies include outcome assessments across all five domains. CONCLUSIONS: As health care practices shift, improvements in mental health care will require credible evidence detailing the impact of clinical treatments and services on all salient outcome domains. Embedding efficacious treatments into effective service programs will likely improve care, but treatments will require modification to make them flexible, inclusive, and appropriate to multicultural populations. Furthermore, service delivery systems must be modified to meet the specific clinical needs of children with mental disorders and to embrace new efficacious treatments as they become available.     

Attachment and the processing of social information across the life span: Theory and evidence.

Researchers have used J. Bowlby's (1969/1982, 1973, 1980, 1988) attachment theory frequently as a basis for examining whether experiences in close personal relationships relate to the processing of social information across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We present an integrative life-span–encompassing theoretical model to explain the patterns of results that have emerged from these studies. The central proposition is that individuals who possess secure experience-based internal working models of attachment will process—in a relatively open manner—a broad range of positive and negative attachment-relevant social information. Moreover, secure individuals will draw on their positive attachment-related knowledge to process this information in a positively biased schematic way. In contrast, individuals who possess insecure internal working models of attachment will process attachment-relevant social information in one of two ways, depending on whether the information could cause the individual psychological pain. If processing the information is likely to lead to psychological pain, insecure individuals will defensively exclude this information from further processing. If, however, the information is unlikely to lead to psychological pain, then insecure individuals will process this information in a negatively biased schematic fashion that is congruent with their negative attachment-related experiences. In a comprehensive literature review, we describe studies that illustrate these patterns of attachment-related information processing from childhood to adulthood. This review focuses on studies that have examined specific components (e.g., attention and memory) and broader aspects (e.g., attributions) of social information processing. We also provide general conclusions and suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making personalized health care more precise: Implications of neuroscientific findings.

The individualization of health care occurs when knowledge of what is best for a specific patient is used in a specific treatment situation. Currently the treatment of a patient is dependent on a set of primarily medical parameters that help to individualize the chosen therapy. In the future, supplementary parameters will be needed to enhance therapy success. One possible parameter would be the use of information about the personality of the patient. This article will first review given findings about the relation between personality and health. Subsequently the implications of these findings will be explored and a research proposal will be presented. A literature review was conducted, including articles that discuss the relationship between personality and health in a theoretical or empirical manner. The analysis focused on studies using the NEO-FFI or the TCI in combination with a psychological or somatic illness. Studies of personality measures show a variety of relationships between personality traits and morbidity, even for somatic illnesses. In addition to the existing parameters used to determine therapy, personality data could help determine a more precise etiology, diagnosis and therapy for the individual patient. Also new possibilities are created for a more compatible form of doctor-patient relationship, as well as a more structural approach to strengthen the patient orientation of the physician. Implementing this approach will require extensive discourse about the implied ethical aspects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)