05.10.11
Informed consent jeopardising research
The need to obtain informed consent for the use of left-over human tissue samples could hamper essential bio-bank research, according to Joanna Stjernschantz Forsberg and colleagues at Uppsala University in Sweden.
The researchers claim that this is problematic because it consumes resources that could be directed towards further research or healthcare. Additionally, it imposes a risk of selection bias, as there is a certain group of people who would agree their consent.
Forsberg said: “There are significant differences between individuals who consent to participating in bio-bank research and those who do not.”
They suggest that research projects should adopt policies of broad, presumed or no consent, although this has been criticised for threatening patient autonomy. Researchers assert that many projects are abandoned as consent is too logistically difficult to achieve, as a report published in the BMJ reads: “As individuals living together in a society we limit our freedom in many ways in order to achieve common goals.”
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