[Science and ethics, therapeutic misconception and mirage]

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Clinical Research Methodology

Context:

• Medical practice is constantly evolving, posing challenges to ethical imperatives.
• The 'therapeutic misconception' arises when patients believe care is solely for their benefit, not research.
• The 'therapeutic mirage' occurs when unproven treatments are mistakenly seen as beneficial.

Purpose:

• To reconcile medical ethics, scientific progress, and clinical practice.
• To argue for the integration of clinical research into good medical practice.
• To review ethical principles in clinical trial design.

Summary:

• This essay advocates for integrating clinical research into medical practice, countering the separation proposed to avoid 'therapeutic misconception'.
• It posits that divorcing research from practice leads to 'therapeutic mirage,' where unproven benefits are wrongly assumed.
• The authors review ethical principles of clinical trials to bridge the gap between ethics, science, and patient care.

Impact:

• Promotes ethical medical practice by ensuring patients understand their role in research.
• Enhances the quality of medical care by grounding it in evidence-based research.
• Advocates for incorporating clinical research training into medical specialties for better understanding and practice.