Ethics and the payment of research subjects

Louisa Beckford*, Matthew R. Broome

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Subjects, both healthy controls and patients, are reimbursed for their participation in research. This payment is referred to as inducement. Medical ethicists consider inducement to be undue if it can lead to the subject not adequately considering the risks to themselves of taking part in the research or if they withhold information about themselves so as to meet the inclusion criteria for the study. Research has found that higher levels of payment do not necessarily lead subjects to disregard the risks of research, but can lead to them withholding information. Psychiatric patients taking part in research may present special difficulties. Therapeutic misconception is common among psychiatric patients and some psychiatric patients may lack the capacity to consent to take part in research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)83-85
Number of pages3
JournalPsychiatry
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2007

Keywords

  • capacity
  • consent
  • inducement
  • research ethics
  • subject payment
  • therapeutic misconception

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Phychiatric Mental Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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