UK funders' framework for health-related findings in research

摘要

Researchers who undertake studies that involve human participants sometimes face a dilemma: what steps, if any, should they take if their research data reveal something about the current or future health of an individual? Making a judgment on the appropriate way to respond to a finding is complicated, particularly in situations in which participants might have no symptoms related to the finding; there is no medical history; there are no clinicians in the research team; and a decision has to be made on findings that do not meet standards of clinical quality or a validated diagnostic test. Although there might be a compelling argument to provide, or not to provide, feedback to participants in some cases, often the situation is far from clear.