Vulnerability: Too vague and too broad?

Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics

Volumn 18, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 113-121

  Schroeder, Doris ^a   Gefenas, Eugenijus ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; CLINICAL TRIAL; CONFIDENTIALITY; ETHICS; HEALTH CARE DELIVERY; HUMAN; INFORMED CONSENT; NOMENCLATURE; RESEARCH SUBJECT; VULNERABLE POPULATION;

CLINICAL TRIALS AS TOPIC; CONFIDENTIALITY; HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY; HUMANS; INFORMED CONSENT; RESEARCH SUBJECTS; TERMINOLOGY AS TOPIC; VULNERABLE POPULATIONS;

EID: 63649087565     PISSN: 09631801     EISSN: 14692147     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0963180109090203     Document Type: Article

References (24)

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2. Macklin R. Bioethics, vulnerability and protection. Bioethics 2003;17(5-6):472-86, at 472.
3. Kipnis K. Vulnerability in research subjects: A bioethical taxonomy. In: National Bioethics Advisory Commission, eds. Report on Ethical and Policy Issues in Research Involving Human Participants, Vol. II, 2001; available at http://www.onlineethics.diamax.com/cms/8087.aspx (last accessed 27 April 2008); Ruof MC. Vulnerability, vulnerable populations and policy. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 2004;14(4):411-25;
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8. Forster H, Emanuel E, Grady C. The 2000 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: A step forward or more confusion? The Lancet 2001;358(9291):1449-53.
9. See note 4, Hurst 2008:192.
10. This paper does not provide an overview of the most common definitions. This has been done excellently elsewhere. See note 4, Hurst 2008.
11. Council for International Organizations of Medical Science. International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, 2002; available at http://www.cioms.ch/frame-guidelines-nov-2002. htm (last accessed 22 April 2008).
12. Hobbes T. Leviathan. London: Penguin; 1985[1651]:183.
13. See note 9, Hobbes 1985[1651]:186.
14. Jecker NS. Protecting the vulnerable. The American Journal of Bioethics 2004;4(3):60-2.
15. It is interesting to note that the most recent definition in the academic literature by Samia Hurst, a medical doctor, focuses exclusively on our external element. "[V]ulnerability should be understood as an identifiably increased likelihood of incurring additional or greater wrong." See note 4, Hurst 2008:195.
16. Silvers A. Historical vulnerability and special scrutiny. The American Journal of Bioethics 2004;4(3): 56-7 at p. 56.
17. See note 13, Silvers 2004:56.
18. We are excluding here the possibility that people could have the means and the ability to protect themselves, but choose not to, thereby making themselves vulnerable voluntarily.
19. The World Medical Association. Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, adopted by the 18th WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964, latest revision by the WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, 2004; available at http://www.wma.net/e/ policy/b3.htm (last accessed 9 July 2008). The latest amendment was made by the 52nd WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000.
20. Forster H, Emanuel E, Grady C. The 2000 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: A step forward or more confusion? The Lancet 2001;358(9291):1449-53.
21. See note 4, Hurst 2008:193.
22. Resnik DB. Research subjects in developing countries and vulnerability. The American Journal of Bioethics 2004;4(3):63-4.
23. The first points look at benefits in the narrow sense, excluding justice issues, which are covered by the fourth point.
24. See note 16, The World Medical Association 2004.