Ethical considerations in the use of patient medical records for research
Keywords:
Data sharing, communication, patient’s identity, consent, data sovereignty, medical ethics, research complianceAbstract
Background: The exchange of data allows major advancements in the medical field and contributes to growth in data research in general. However, these practices also raiseethical concerns such as patient’s privacy rights, patients’ self-ownership, and reporting and ownership of data. Aim: The custodianship of data; whether it should be one’s best to share or collaborate depends on the benefits to be accrued from the research, against the rights of the patients. Methods: A literature review of current literature and major ethical codes was also employed to identify the main hurdles to data sharing and cooperation. Results: The study also revealed explicit threats regarding the dangers which privacy and data integrity of patients may face, especially for de-identified data. It also brought into focus issues on consent procedures, conflicts in ownership particularly where collaborations involve several institutions, and procedural lapses on the part and parity of ensuring compliance to ethics and the law. Conclusion: Ethical issues arising from data-sharing and collaboration call for still stronger measures for protective governance as well as equitable share and open policies for patients’ protection as research is enhanced.
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