Stakeholder Opinions And Ethical Perspectives Support Complete Disclosure Of Incidental Findings In MRI Research

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging Research Ethics
• Medical Ethics
• Research Participant Rights

Background:

• Ethical dilemmas arise concerning researchers' responsibilities for incidental findings in neuroimaging studies.
• Existing empirical data to guide decision-making in these cases is limited.
• Balancing beneficence, respect for persons, and duty to rescue presents challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the perceptions and preferences of investigators, research participants, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) members regarding incidental findings in neuroimaging research.
• To gather data to inform ethical guidelines for managing incidental findings in research settings.

Main Methods:

• A systematic survey was conducted with 396 participants, including researchers, study participants, and IRB members.
• The partial entrustment model was utilized to frame the analysis of survey responses.

Main Results:

• Survey data indicated support for a universal reading protocol for incidental findings in research MRI scans.
• A majority favored full disclosure of all incidental findings to research participants.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the implementation of universal neuroradiologist review for all research MRI scans to identify incidental findings.
• Full disclosure of incidental findings to participants is ethically recommended based on the study's results.
• The partial entrustment model provides a framework for addressing researcher responsibility in incidental findings.