Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117396

Lance A. Gable, JD, MPH, Center for Law and the Public's Health at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities, Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 662-9281, gable1@law.georgetown.edu, Celia B. Fisher, PhD, Center for Ethics Education, Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458, David Buchanan, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Arnold House, Amherst, MA 01003, and Lynda Erinoff, PhD, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Blvd., Room 5153 MSC 9589, Bethesda, MD 20892-9589.

Researchers conducting non-intervention community-based studies with high-risk behaviors such as suicide behavior, child abuse, and violence have identified a lack of ethical and legal guidance outlining standards for conducting such research. This deficiency of guidance presents a barrier to increasing research in this area. Researchers who study drug abuse and/or drug abusing populations face additional issues because the populations they study are stigmatized, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia are criminalized, and frequently researchers out about other activities associated with drug abuse careers that are also illegal. The National Institute on Drug Abuse held a workshop in September 2004 to begin to address these issues. The presenters, along with additional colleagues who participated in this initial workshop, have subsequently developed a "best practices" guidance based on their knowledge and experience.

This presentation will highlight ethical and legal issues related to non-intervention research and offer practical guidance to researchers. Among the issues facing researchers are: confidentiality, mandatory reporting, emergency intervention, referral to intervention, and liability issues. As we have experts with ethical, legal, and practical experience, this session could be structured as an individual presentation or a panel discussion with several presentations.

Learning Objectives:

• Address the major ethical issues facing non-intervention researchers.
• Address the major legal issues facing non-intervention researchers.
• Discuss the overlap between ethical and legal decision-making in the context of non-intervention research.
• Analyze several major ethical and legal conflicts that may arise during non-intervention research. For example, at what point does learning of the threat of harm, such as suicide, child abuse, or violence, warrant overriding confidentiality protections? Does this harm threshold differ for researchers and subjects? Are there different ethical considerations for conducting non-intervention studies in different populations?
• Outline "best practices" guidance for ethical and legal issues in non-intervention research.

Keywords: Community Research, Ethics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation