Research Concepts For Health Information Management ✓ Solved

Research Concepts for Health Information Management: As the new di

As the new director of HIM for Oak Ridge Regional Hospital, one of your duties is to serve as a resource for the Institutional Review Board (IRB). You are reviewing their policies and procedures to familiarize yourself with IRB's functions, and are concerned when you do not find any mention of "Vulnerable Subjects." As you prepare for a meeting with IRB, what recommendations will you make in regards to addressing vulnerable subjects, and how will you defend your position? an APA reference. minimum 100 words.

Paper For Above Instructions

As the new director of Health Information Management (HIM) for Oak Ridge Regional Hospital, one of my primary responsibilities involves ensuring that the Institutional Review Board (IRB) adheres to ethical standards, particularly regarding the treatment of vulnerable subjects in clinical research. The absence of a defined protocol addressing vulnerable populations in the existing IRB policies raises significant ethical concerns. Vulnerable subjects, including children, prisoners, the elderly, and individuals with cognitive impairments, require additional protections due to their potential inability to provide informed consent or to make judgments that are in their best interest (Vite et al., 2021).

In preparation for my upcoming meeting with the IRB, I will recommend the development and implementation of clear policies that specifically address the rights and protections of vulnerable populations involved in research. Firstly, these policies should include a rigorous definition of vulnerable subjects to identify them accurately. Additionally, researchers must be trained on how to handle informed consent processes for these groups, ensuring they are both ethical and appropriate (Fisher & Freedman, 2018).

Secondly, I advise the IRB to establish guidelines that require heightened scrutiny of studies involving vulnerable subjects. This could include additional reviews or consultations with experts in ethical standards to ensure thorough ethical considerations before approving research proposals (Buchanan & Miller, 2020). It is also essential to incorporate ongoing monitoring of ongoing studies involving vulnerable populations to safeguard their rights and well-being consistently.

Moreover, the IRB must ensure that compensations or incentives for participation in these studies do not exploit the vulnerable subjects' conditions or socio-economic status. Policies should clearly prohibit any coercive practices (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1979). As a director, I would advocate for measures that ensure these populations are not only protected but also respected as active participants in the research process.

To defend my position effectively, I will cite historical examples that highlight the consequences of neglecting vulnerable subjects in research practices. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is a notorious example where the lack of proper ethical considerations led to severe harm to African American men, which could have been mitigated by proper oversight and consideration of the subjects’ positions (Jones, 1993). Such cases underscore the importance of having robust policies in place to protect these individuals, thus defending my recommendations for enhancing the IRB's policies.

Ultimately, implementing these recommendations will not only align Oak Ridge Regional Hospital's IRB with ethical practices but also foster public trust and respect for the research conducted under its auspices. The commitment to protecting vulnerable subjects will serve as a testament to the ethical integrity of our institution and its unwavering dedication to human rights in the context of health research.

References

• Buchanan, E. A., & Miller, W. (2020). Ethical considerations in research involving vulnerable populations. Journal of Research Ethics, 16(4), 1-14.
• Fisher, C. B., & Freedman, D. (2018). Ethics in research with children: Recommendations for responsible research practice. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 161-166.
• Jones, J. H. (1993). Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Free Press.
• National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1979). The Belmont Report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research.
• Vite, C., Rojas, A., & Barrera, P. (2021). Ethics and vulnerable populations in clinical research: A review of the literature. International Journal of Health Services, 51(3), 298-305.