The Ethics of Care in Biomedical Research Committees

Abstract

"Principle based decision making is most commonly used by Research Ethics Committees. Whilst useful and encouraging the agreement of members from diverse disciplines, principles may be used without consideration of the specific situation under discussion. It is argued that, were some members of the committee familiar with the concepts and application of the ethics of care, they could engage in debate when the universal principles are used without consideration of the specific nuances of the situation under discussion. An ‘eclectic’ theory is not advocated as, unless conversant with the intricacies of each of the theories amalgamated, one is apt to slur theories and arrive at a messy, relativistic hodgepodge which is able to be manipulated every which way. However, using more than one source on which to base ethical decisions ensures that the universal and objective approaches which currently dominate the realm of ethical decision making in medical research are modified. The authors, both members of a university research ethics committee, argue the value of considering other approaches to enable ethics committees to adopt a more holistic and comprehensive view of the research situation, the people involved and the role of research in general"