Question #5
In experiments on infants, it is obviously impossible to obtain the informed consent of the subject. This is also true in experiments on senile individuals. Does this mean that ethical considerations preclude using such subjects in any experiment?Infants or senile individuals cannot be used because informed consent is one of the guidelines that has to be met when doing an experiment. Because they cannot give informed consent it is not ethical to use these individuals in an experiment.
8 comments:
Can the parents give consent since the infants can't?
When a test is being done on a senile person a family member should be able to give consent as well.
Good questions, Phineas and Allison, what do you think, Group 3? How should that be decided? If you have an elderly person and you allow one son or daughter to consent and the others object, what should you do? What if a parent is not able to understand the study and its consequences, is there anyone else who can give informed consent?
I think if the spouse of a elderly person is able to make a thought-out decision then they should be able too but if not probably the oldest child should do the decision making. As for infants if both parents are unable to make an informed decision maybe a grandparent should decide.
I think people should have something in place, like, "If I'm on life support, I want Bob/Jane/Bill to make the decision about taking me off." I think it would be easier that way if a person was designated;
but since most people don't do that, I think that the people making the decision should really think about what's best for the patient involved; and try to decide fairly instead of battling it out or something.
And I mean, for some illnesses, the parents would never be able to give informed consent because the treatment is so complicated. I think that the best option is for the doctor to simplify it as much as they can, like saying, "This is an experimental treatment; it may or may not work, and it might be fatal." As opposed to trying to get the consenting individual to understand the entire treatment. The important part is that they're informed as much as they can be.
I also have some inquiries about this subject. I feel that most parents woldnt want testing done on their children to begin with. However, if they do it brings up the consent question. Perhaps there are ceratin ages at which this applies or maybe even certain ages at which testing can occur. However i do agree that is anyone must choose it shold be direct family members. I feel that consent must be given, so these infants shold not be tested.
I think that if the person is unable to give informed consent and has not said anything assigning who should decide what to do then it should be up to the family members. With a baby it should be up to the parents, and with adults it the decision should go to the spouse first, and then the children in order of oldest to youngest.
I think that if a person is on life support and they are unable to give informed consent, they should be kept on the life support unless all of their immediate family gives informed consent to take them off the life support. Ending a life is such a huge decision that it should be unanimous.
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