Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern
research, related to the subject and researcher (Sng et al., 2016).
Scenario number one has several challenges including the ethical
issue of removing data from a study and accepting grant money
under false pretenses. Another challenge that may be present is
having involvement in the removal of pertinent data more than an
ethics issue. During data collection for research conducted by any
medical provider or researcher, the participant must be willing to
release all needed information for the study. Consent is then
collected to ensure information can be utilized. d If information is
removed intentionally from a research study it will yield results that
are biased. Research studies done to determine resolutions for
issues within the healtcare system must be unbiased and all true
results should be analysed and discussed. Poorly conducted studies
violate the principle of justice, as there are time and resources
wastage for research sponsors, researchers and subjects, and
undermine the societal trust on scientific enquiry (Mutch, 2011).
Ethics appears more concerned with theoretical reflections, whereas
health policies direct concrete courses of action; yet, ethics loses its
purpose if it does not guide specific, applicable policies (Petrini,
2010). Both policy and ethics can be related, especially when
determining how to respond to one’s actions. Ethics deals with a
code of conduct based on established moral principles (Weiss, 2019).
An organization's ethics and policy should line up with each other.
Once in a while, the two are not intertwined, which causes issues
with the culture or an organization. d
Recognizing ethics as an opportunity, public policy must align with
scientific and ethical standards (Petrini, 2010). If individual ethics do
not align with organizational policy, the individual may not believe
the policy is essential. In scenario two, the severity of misplacing or
losing a laptop may not seem detrimental. Health data breaches have
cost private companies multi-million dollars. If an individual’s ethics
does not match the policy, the individual could ruin a company for
neglectful actions. d
References
Mutch, W. A. C. (2011). Academic fraud: perspectives from a lifelong
anesthesia researcher. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal
Canadien D’anesthésie, 58(9), 782–788.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12630-011-9523-5
Petrini, C. (2010). ETHICS-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY?
American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 197–198.
https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2009.181511
Sng, B., Yip, C., & Han, N.-L. (2016). Legal and ethical issues in
research. Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 60(9), 684.
https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190627
Weiss, M. J. . M. J. (2019). Medical ethics. Magill’s Medical Guide
(Online Edition).
West, K. (2014). Patient medical information at risk from stolen
computers. Missouri Medicine, 111(1), 10–12.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179506/
