Clinical research: Should patients pay to play?

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Ezekiel J Emanuel1, Steven Joffe1, Christine Grady2

  • 1Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146-6303, USA.

Science Translational Medicine
|July 31, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Paying patients to join clinical research compromises fair subject selection and trial integrity. This practice undermines social value and the scientific rigor of clinical studies.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical research ethics
  • Biomedical study design

Background:

  • Clinical research is vital for medical advancement.
  • Ethical guidelines ensure participant safety and data integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the ethical implications of allowing patients to pay for clinical research participation.
  • To assess the impact on social value and subject selection.

Main Methods:

  • Ethical framework analysis
  • Review of clinical trial principles

Main Results:

  • Patient payments for research participation conflict with ethical standards.
  • This practice can distort subject recruitment and trial validity.

Conclusions:

  • Allowing patient payments in clinical research poses significant ethical risks.
  • Safeguarding trial integrity requires adherence to established ethical principles.

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