Ethical permission for the publication of routinely collected data

Data collected from undergraduate medical students for routine purposes on a non-consented basis, but subsequently perceived as being potentially valuable for research purposes, lie in an ethical grey area. Currently, such data appear to be used routinely without explicit consideration of ethical considerations.

This paper proposes a consistent framework that would permit the use of such data. It also provides an advance on current practice with regard to ethical considerations around the absence of consent.

We argue that students should be informed of generic possible uses of such data and given the opportunity to opt out, that researchers should be able to analyse such data retrospectively, but should then seek ethical permission for publication, and that an ethics committee should determine if ethical practices have been upheld before giving permission for any study incorporating such data to be submitted for publication.

It is hoped that these proposals will stimulate debate, and that the results of such debate will inform practice in medical schools and medical education publishing.