title: [Informed concent for emergency medicine research].
abstract: Discussions of consent for research in Emergency Medicine and for procedures during medical emergencies must take into account the nature of both the specialty and the patients that present to emergency departments. With this knowledge, it becomes clear that, popular misconceptions to the contrary, Emergency Medicine research plays a vital role in care, and informed consent (or waiver for minimal-risk research) remains the standard for most emergency care research. Indeed, to publish research in peer-reviewed journals requires evidence of a research ethics committee's approval, which usually means obtaining informed consent but can also include (in the United States) a waiver or intense review and ongoing oversight. Such review and oversight, termed Retrospective/Deferred Consent, is a way of permitting research without prospective informed consent in the very limited circumstances of life- or limb-threatening diseases or injuries. Research Ethics Committees only approve Retrospective/Deferred Consent when no other option exists, when clinical equipoise exists, and when they can carefully monitor the study. Research performed in such time-sensitive clinical situations, once banned as unethical, has led to vital lifesaving alterations in medical practice affecting millions of patients.
authors.forename: Kenneth V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Iserson
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent