title: What is the impact of ethics on clinical trials?
abstract: Ethics has often been ignored or evaded in clinical trials, and the conditions under which global clinical trials are conducted make this problem likely to persist. Ethics can, however, have an impact at any of several stages of a trial when the individuals involved are committed. This editorial provides historical examples of ignoring, evading or, alternatively, using ethical help to improve clinical trials, and suggests that the actual role of ethics depends on the individuals involved.
authors.affiliation: a Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Humanities, 913 N. Rutledge St, Springfield, USA.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spielman
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D032984:Ethics, Research; D006801:Humans
keywords: IRB; clinical trials; ethics; human subjects research; multinational corporations