Law, ethics and epidemiology: the case of the cervical screening audit.
This paper provides a legal and ethical analysis of some controversial aspects of a recent proposal for an independent audit of New Zealand's National Cervical Screening Programme. The analysis reveals the difficulties likely to arise between investigators and ethics committees when the interests served by important public health research compete with the rigorous protection of patients' privacy.
Davidson
H
H
Health Research Council, University of Otago, New Zealand.
Dawson
J
J
Moore
A
A
D022126:Access to Information / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D030881:Disclosure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D026724:Ethical Review; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008499:Medical Records; D009520:New Zealand; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D019724:Presumed Consent / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018907:Privacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012042:Registries; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*