Healthcare providers working primarily in large urban centers have recognized the need to learn more about refugees and survivors of torture, a patient population with a rapid growth over the past twenty-five years. Healthcare providers are not receiving adequate training and education because few medical schools include this subject in their academic curriculums and no formal training programs exist in this area. The lack of education and training is a direct consequence of having almost no new knowledge generated by research in this patient population. However, because of the inherited vulnerability, conducting research in this patient population poses several ethical concerns. If an index of vulnerability could be constructed from overall health, language, housing, employment, education, relation with the state, access to healthcare, and social support, this patient population would rank at the top because of their complex medical, mental health, legal, and social needs. Therefore, are there enough safeguards to protect them? Should research be conducted at all in this patient population? Are survivors of torture able to provide voluntary informed consent after having lost the sense of control and decision? Should healthcare providers caring for these individuals engage in research using their own patients?
Learning Objectives: Recognize some ethical concerns derived from conducting research in refugees and survivors of torture
Keywords: Human Rights, Vulnerable Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.