As faith and health programs garner ever more attention in society, especially among academicians and researchers, for instance, the programs and their developments also raise important questions about the development of those programs and the research on them. One issue raised is the ability to design, implement, and conduct research on faith-health programs in such a way that there is reciprocity of benefits-- and losses--and outcomes for both parties. The topic addresses explicitly a major critique of many programs and research, which is the criticism that the research or researchers benefit while the faith community or community constituents do not, or at least not to the same or significant degree. Consideration especially for community constituents is an important aspect, and one that is often overlook or overweighted toward the research or academic side of faith and health projects. This paper will explore relevant considerations on this topic, highlight pertinent constraints, and suggest a protocol for conducing research in a manner that will retain an ethical foundation and result in mutuality in the conduct of program assessment or research. The underlying ethical concept for this paper is justice. Indeed, there are ways in which, from the initiation to the completion of a program and its research, mutuality or justice can be built into the project.
Learning Objectives: Objective: To provide guidelines for developing programs and research that provide mutual benefit to participants, wheather academic-community or faith-health
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.