Exception from informed consent for biomedical research in emergency settings: A study from Jordan

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Clinical Research Ethics
• Health Policy

Background:

• Emergency research is crucial for advancing acute care but presents ethical challenges.
• Exception from informed consent (EFIC) is a complex ethical consideration in emergency research.
• Understanding healthcare providers' (HCPs) attitudes is vital for ethical research conduct.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine Jordanian healthcare providers' attitudes towards exception from informed consent (EFIC).
• To assess healthcare providers' willingness to enroll in emergency research.
• To explore perceptions of EFIC in the context of emergency research in Jordan.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, cross-sectional survey using face-to-face questionnaires.
• Conducted over a 6-month period in 2019 with 151 healthcare providers in Jordanian emergency departments.
• Survey assessed attitudes towards EFIC policies and willingness to participate in emergency research.

Main Results:

• A majority of HCPs expressed positive attitudes towards emergency research.
• Most participants disagreed with most examined EFIC policy items.
• HCPs showed limited support for EFIC for family enrollment but accepted it for self-enrollment.

Conclusions:

• HCPs generally support emergency research but show consensus disagreement on EFIC terms.
• Further research comparing attitudes in different institutional settings is recommended.
• Enhanced communication between researchers and policymakers can facilitate ethical emergency research.