RESUMO
Stem cell technology is an emerging science field; it is the unique regenerative ability of the pluripotent stem cell which scientists hope would be effective in treating various medical conditions. While it has gained significant advances in research, it is a sensitive subject involving human embryo destruction and human experimentation, which compel governments worldwide to ensure that the related procedures and experiments are conducted ethically. Based on face-to-face interviews with selected Malaysian ethicists, scientists and policymakers, the objectives and effectiveness of the current Guideline for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (2009) are examined. The study's findings show that the guideline is rather ineffective in ensuring good ethical governance of the technology. A greater extent of unethical conduct is likely present in the private medical clinics or laboratories offering stem cell therapies compared with the public medical institutions providing similar services, as the latter are closely monitored by the governmental agencies enforcing the relevant policies and laws. To address concerns over malpractices or unethical conduct, this paper recommends a comprehensive revision of the current stem cell guideline so that adequate provisions exist to regulate the explicit practices of the private and public stem cell sectors, including false advertising and accountability. The newly revised Malaysian stem cell guideline will align with the Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation (2016) of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) containing secular but universal moral rules. However, a regulatory policy formulated to govern the technology remains the main thrust of empowering the guideline for compliance among the stakeholders.
Assuntos
Guias como Assunto , Políticas , Pesquisa com Células-Tronco/ética , Pesquisa com Células-Tronco/legislação & jurisprudência , Tecnologia Biomédica/ética , Tecnologia Biomédica/legislação & jurisprudência , Humanos , Malásia , Turismo Médico , Setor Privado/ética , Setor Privado/legislação & jurisprudência , Má Conduta Profissional , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/legislação & jurisprudência , Religião e CiênciaRESUMO
Over recent years, the issue of corruption in the public construction sector has attracted increasing attention from both practitioners and researchers worldwide. However, limited efforts are available for investigating the underlying factors of corruption in this sector. Thus, this study attempted to bridge this knowledge gap by exploring the underlying factors of corruption in the public construction sector of China. To achieve this goal, a total of 14 structured interviews were first carried out, and a questionnaire survey was then administered to 188 professionals in China. Two iterations of multivariate analysis approaches, namely, stepwise multiple regression analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling were successively utilized to analyze the collected data. In addition, a case study was also conducted to triangulate the findings obtained from the statistical analysis. The results generated from these three research methods achieve the same conclusion: the most influential underlying factor leading to corruption was immorality, followed by opacity, unfairness, procedural violation, and contractual violation. This study has contributed to the body of knowledge by exploring the properties of corruption in the public construction sector. The findings from this study are also valuable to the construction authorities as they can assist in developing more effective anti-corruption strategies.
Assuntos
Indústria da Construção/ética , Crime , Princípios Morais , Setor Público/ética , China , Contratos , Fraude , Humanos , Análise Multivariada , Justiça Social , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
In 2006, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) published its 'Ethical guidelines for Biomedical Research on human participants'. The intention was to translate international ethical standards into locally and culturally appropriate norms and values to help biomedical researchers in India to conduct ethical research and thereby safeguard the interest of human subjects. Unfortunately, it is apparent that the guideline is not fit for purpose. In addition to problems with the structure and clarity of the guidelines, there are several serious omissions and contradictions in the recommendations. In this paper, we take a close look at the two key chapters and highlight some of the striking flaws in this important document. We conclude that ethics committees and national authorities should not lose sight of international ethical standards while incorporating local reality and cultural and social values, as focusing too much on the local context could compromise the safety of human subjects in biomedical research, particularly in India.
Assuntos
Pesquisa Biomédica/ética , Confidencialidade/ética , Comitês de Ética em Pesquisa/normas , Guias como Assunto/normas , Experimentação Humana/ética , Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido/ética , Competência Profissional , Responsabilidade Social , Características Culturais , Revisão Ética , Humanos , Índia , Obrigações Morais , Setor Público/ética , Valores Sociais , VoluntáriosRESUMO
Response strategy is a key for preventing widespread corruption vulnerabilities in the public construction sector. Although several studies have been devoted to this area, the effectiveness of response strategies has seldom been evaluated in China. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the effectiveness of response strategies for corruption vulnerabilities through a survey in the Chinese public construction sector. Survey data obtained from selected experts involved in the Chinese public construction sector were analyzed by factor analysis and partial least squares-structural equation modeling. Analysis results showed that four response strategies of leadership, rules and regulations, training, and sanctions, only achieved an acceptable level in preventing corruption vulnerabilities in the Chinese public construction sector. This study contributes to knowledge by improving the understanding of the effectiveness of response strategies for corruption vulnerabilities in the public construction sector of developing countries.
Assuntos
Indústria da Construção/ética , Países em Desenvolvimento , Setor Público/ética , China , Humanos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Often celebrated as a model of development in Africa, Botswana nonetheless endured a severe HIV epidemic. This article describes the singularity of the Botswana experience in facing AIDS and creating the widest possible access to antiretroviral medications for its citizens. Through exploration of different sets of actors and the construction of their ethics of treatment, it is possible to examine how free and universal access was created within the national antiretroviral program. This article underscores the importance of the site and the local dynamics in the advent of an ethics of access to treatment for Botswana citizens. At the intersection of national citizenship, pharmaceutical philanthropy, and biomedical collaborations, Botswana is an exemplary case (one of the first and unique in its kind) of global health programs for access to drugs in which patients' rights are tied to science and pharmaceutical development. As such it also bears some limitations and concerns over its sustainability.
Assuntos
Antirretrovirais/uso terapêutico , Instituições de Caridade , Surtos de Doenças , Indústria Farmacêutica , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Saúde Pública , Padrão de Cuidado/ética , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/epidemiologia , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/prevenção & controle , Botsuana/epidemiologia , Ensaios Clínicos como Assunto/ética , Indústria Farmacêutica/ética , Indústria Farmacêutica/tendências , Fundações/ética , Saúde Global/ética , Saúde Global/normas , Saúde Global/tendências , Financiamento da Assistência à Saúde/ética , Humanos , Saúde Pública/ética , Saúde Pública/normas , Saúde Pública/tendências , Setor Público/ética , TriagemRESUMO
Several important ethical dilemmas emerge when nurses join a public-sector strike. Such industrial action is commonplace in South Africa and was most notably illustrated by a national wage negotiation in 2010. Media coverage of the proceedings suggested unethical behaviour on the part of nurses, and further exploration is merited. Laws, policies and provisional codes are meant to guide nurses' behaviour during industrial action, while ethical theories can be used to further illuminate the role of nurses in industrial action. There are, however, important aspects to consider before judging whether nurses act unethically when striking. Following Loewy's suggestion that the nature of the work, the proceeding commitment of the nurse to the patient, the prevailing situation when the strike is planned and the person(s) who stand(s) to benefit from the strike be considered, coupled with a consideration of the South African historical socio-political context, important aspects of the ethics of nurses' behaviour in industrial action transpire.
Assuntos
Ética em Enfermagem , Papel do Profissional de Enfermagem , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem/ética , Setor Público/ética , Salários e Benefícios/legislação & jurisprudência , Greve/ética , Humanos , África do Sul , Greve/legislação & jurisprudênciaRESUMO
A growing literature examines descriptive and normative questions about medical tourism such as: How does it operate? What are its effects? Are home country patients or their governments failing in moral duties by engaging in or permitting medical tourism? By contrast, much less has been written on the regulatory dimension: What might be done about medical tourism if we were convinced that it posed ethical issues and were motivated to act? I shall argue that this kind of regulatory analysis is essential for bioethical analysis of medical tourism. This article focuses on these regulatory questions more directly, evaluating available methods, restrictions, costs, and benefits of home and destination country unilateral regulatory moves. This article also discusses more briefly multilateral treaty and private sector responses.
Assuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento , Setor de Assistência à Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Seguradoras/legislação & jurisprudência , Cooperação Internacional , Turismo Médico/ética , Turismo Médico/legislação & jurisprudência , Setor Privado/legislação & jurisprudência , Temas Bioéticos , Países Desenvolvidos , Países em Desenvolvimento/economia , Análise Ética , Setor de Assistência à Saúde/economia , Setor de Assistência à Saúde/ética , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde/economia , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde/ética , Humanos , Seguradoras/economia , Seguradoras/ética , Seguro Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Legislação como Assunto/normas , Legislação como Assunto/tendências , Turismo Médico/economia , Turismo Médico/tendências , Setor Privado/economia , Setor Privado/ética , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/legislação & jurisprudência , Estados UnidosRESUMO
This study proposes a model in which organizational identification mediates the correlations among state-owned enterprises (SOEs), authentic leadership, Christian religiousness, and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). The proposed theoretical framework is based on moral identity theory, social identity theory, and social exchange theory. We tested the hypothesized model using data (N = 389) from employees of various companies and industries in Poland. Of the respondents, 49.1% worked in SOEs. The reliability and validity of the measures were established. The correlation coefficients among the analyzed variables were obtained using the bootstrap confidence interval method. To thoroughly examine the causal relationships among the variables, covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was adopted. Path analysis was conducted and used to verify a model in which organizational identification mediated the correlations among state involvement in the ownership of an enterprise, authentic leadership, Christian religiousness, and UPB. State involvement in the ownership of an enterprise, authentic leadership, and Christian religiousness were linked to increased organizational identification, which in turn was linked to the intensification of UPB. With the level of organizational identification controlled, state ownership of an enterprise was linked to lower UPB intensity. Limitations, implications and future research directions are discussed.
Assuntos
Cristianismo , Empregados do Governo/psicologia , Liderança , Princípios Morais , Cultura Organizacional , Propriedade/ética , Setor Público/ética , Adulto , Idoso , Causalidade , Enganação , Escolaridade , Ética , Feminino , Fraude , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Organizacionais , Motivação , Polônia , Revelação da Verdade , Adulto JovemAssuntos
Cristianismo , Consciência , Médicos/ética , Médicos/legislação & jurisprudência , Recusa em Tratar/ética , Recusa em Tratar/legislação & jurisprudência , Religião e Medicina , Suicídio Assistido/legislação & jurisprudência , Canadá , Ética Médica , Humanos , Direitos do Paciente , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/legislação & jurisprudência , Suicídio Assistido/éticaAssuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento , Saúde Global/economia , Saúde Global/ética , Cooperação Internacional , Parcerias Público-Privadas , Países em Desenvolvimento/economia , Desenvolvimento Econômico , Humanos , Setor Privado/economia , Setor Privado/ética , Setor Privado/normas , Setor Privado/tendências , Setor Público/economia , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/normas , Setor Público/tendências , Parcerias Público-Privadas/ética , Parcerias Público-Privadas/organização & administração , Parcerias Público-Privadas/normas , Parcerias Público-Privadas/tendências , Nações Unidas , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Is it appropriate for scientists to engage in political advocacy? Some political critics of scientists argue that scientists have become partisan political actors with self-serving financial agendas. However, most scientists strongly reject this view. While social scientists have explored the effects of science politicization on public trust in science, little empirical work directly examines the drivers of scientists' interest in and willingness to engage in political advocacy. Using a natural experiment involving the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRF), we causally estimate for the first time whether scientists who have received federal science funding are more likely to engage in both science-related and non-science-related political behaviors. Comparing otherwise similar individuals who received or did not receive NSF support, we find that scientists' preferences for political advocacy are not shaped by receiving government benefits. Government funding did not impact scientists' support of the 2017 March for Science nor did it shape the likelihood that scientists donated to either Republican or Democratic political groups. Our results offer empirical evidence that scientists' political behaviors are not motivated by self-serving financial agendas. They also highlight the limited capacity of even generous government support programs to increase civic participation by their beneficiaries.
Assuntos
Comportamento/ética , Financiamento Governamental , Pessoal de Laboratório/ética , Política , Política Ambiental/economia , Política Ambiental/legislação & jurisprudência , Financiamento Governamental/ética , Financiamento Governamental/normas , Programas Governamentais/economia , Programas Governamentais/ética , Programas Governamentais/normas , Política de Saúde/economia , Política de Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Humanos , Pessoal de Laboratório/economia , Pessoal de Laboratório/psicologia , Má Conduta Profissional/ética , Política Pública , Setor Público/ética , Publicações/economia , Publicações/ética , Publicações/legislação & jurisprudência , Publicações/normas , Ciência/economia , Ciência/ética , Confiança , Estados UnidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord banks are a central component, as umbilical cord tissue providers, in both medical treatment and scientific research with stem cells. But, whereas the creation of umbilical cord banks is seen as successful practice, it is perceived as a risky style of play by others. This article examines and discusses the ethical, medical and legal considerations that arise from the operation of umbilical cord banks in Mexico. DISCUSSION: A number of experts have stated that the use of umbilical cord goes beyond the mere utilization of human tissues for the purpose of treatment. This tissue is also used in research studies: genetic studies, studies to evaluate the effectiveness of new antibiotics, studies to identify new proteins, etc. Meanwhile, others claim that the law and other norms for the functioning of cord banks are not consistent and are poorly defined. Some of these critics point out that the confidentiality of donor information is handled differently in different places. The fact that private cord banks offer their services as "biological insurance" in order to obtain informed consent by promising the parents that the tissue that will be stored insures the health of their child in the future raises the issue of whether the consent is freely given or given under coercion. Another consideration that must be made in relation to privately owned cord banks has to do with the ownership of the stored umbilical cord. SUMMARY: Conflicts between moral principles and economic interests (non-moral principles) cause dilemmas in the clinical practice of umbilical cord blood storage and use especially in privately owned banks. This article presents a reflection and some of the guidelines that must be followed by umbilical cord banks in order to deal with these conflicts. This reflection is based on the fundamental notions of ethics and public health and seeks to be a contribution towards the improvement of umbilical cord banks' performance.
Assuntos
Bancos de Sangue/ética , Bancos de Sangue/legislação & jurisprudência , Doadores de Sangue , Conflito de Interesses , Sangue Fetal , Beneficência , Bancos de Sangue/economia , Preservação de Sangue/ética , Transplante de Células-Tronco de Sangue do Cordão Umbilical/ética , Análise Custo-Benefício , Análise Ética , União Europeia , Humanos , Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido/ética , México , Obrigações Morais , Propriedade/ética , Autonomia Pessoal , Setor Privado/ética , Política Pública , Setor Público/ética , Justiça Social , Transplante AutólogoRESUMO
The National Health Policy in India mentions equity as a key policy principle and emphasises the role of affirmative action in achieving health equity for a range of excluded groups. We conducted a scoping review of literature and three multi-stakeholder workshops to better understand the available evidence on the impact of affirmative action policies in enhancing the inclusion of ethnic and religious minorities in health, education and governance in India. We consider these public services an important mechanism to enhance the social inclusion of many excluded groups. On the whole, the available empirical evidence regarding the uptake and impact of affirmative action policies is limited. Reservation policies in higher education and electoral constituencies have had a limited positive impact in enhancing the access and representation of minorities. However, reservations in government jobs remain poorly implemented. In general, class, gender and location intersect, creating inter- and intra-group differentials in the impact of these policies. Several government initiatives aimed at enhancing the access of religious minorities to public services/institutions remain poorly evaluated. Future research and practice need to focus on neglected but relevant research themes such as the role of private sector providers in supporting the inclusion of minorities, the political aspects of policy development and implementation, and the role of social mobilisation and movements. Evidence gaps also need to be filled in relation to information systems for monitoring and assessment of social disadvantage, implementation and evaluative research on inclusive policies and understanding how the pathways to inequities can be effectively addressed.
Assuntos
Atenção à Saúde/ética , Atenção à Saúde/organização & administração , Equidade em Saúde/ética , Equidade em Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Política de Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Grupos Minoritários/legislação & jurisprudência , Política Pública/legislação & jurisprudência , Setor Público/ética , Humanos , ÍndiaRESUMO
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a new set of principles and guidelines to promote open access to datasets and results from publicly funded research. However, there is reason to think twice about the implications of making demands for transparency and open access for publicly funded research only. How will such demands affect incentives and research agendas? Might this new regulation of publicly funded research have undesirable effects on the quality and value of research? Placing the OECD guidelines in a broader context of research regulation, we argue that they might provide a further push toward collaboration with commercially sponsored research and reinforce incentive structures that favour the creation of commercial value.
Assuntos
Acesso à Informação/ética , Acesso à Informação/legislação & jurisprudência , Pesquisa Biomédica , Conflito de Interesses , Guias como Assunto , Viés , Pesquisa Biomédica/economia , Pesquisa Biomédica/ética , Pesquisa Biomédica/legislação & jurisprudência , Conflito de Interesses/economia , Comportamento Cooperativo , Financiamento Governamental/ética , Financiamento Governamental/legislação & jurisprudência , Humanos , Revisão da Pesquisa por Pares , Setor Público/economia , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/legislação & jurisprudência , Apoio à Pesquisa como Assunto/ética , Apoio à Pesquisa como Assunto/legislação & jurisprudência , Transferência de TecnologiaAssuntos
Conflito de Interesses/economia , Atenção à Saúde/ética , Atenção à Saúde/normas , Financiamento Governamental , Financiamento da Assistência à Saúde/ética , Relações Médico-Paciente/ética , Médicos/economia , Médicos/ética , Códigos de Ética , Atenção à Saúde/economia , Ética Médica , Ética em Enfermagem , União Europeia , Financiamento Governamental/ética , Humanos , Hungria , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros/economia , Setor Privado/ética , Setor Público/ética , Justiça SocialAssuntos
Internet/tendências , Biologia Molecular/tendências , Editoração/tendências , Arquivos , Pesquisa Biomédica/ética , Pesquisa Biomédica/normas , Pesquisa Biomédica/tendências , Redes de Comunicação de Computadores/normas , Redes de Comunicação de Computadores/tendências , Comunicação Interdisciplinar , Internet/ética , Internet/normas , Biologia Molecular/ética , Biologia Molecular/normas , Setor Público/ética , Setor Público/normas , Setor Público/tendências , Editoração/ética , Editoração/normasRESUMO
Public-private partnerships have become a common approach to health care problems worldwide. Many public-private partnerships were created during the late 1990s, but most were focused on specific diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Recently there has been enthusiasm for using public-private partnerships to improve the delivery of health and welfare services for a wider range of health problems, especially in developing countries. The success of public-private partnerships in this context appears to be mixed, and few data are available to evaluate their effectiveness. This analysis provides an overview of the history of health-related public-private partnerships during the past 20 years and describes a research protocol commissioned by the World Health Organization to evaluate the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in a research context.
Assuntos
Ética em Pesquisa , Relações Interinstitucionais , Cooperação Internacional , Setor Privado/organização & administração , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde/normas , Saúde Pública/ética , Setor Público/organização & administração , Apoio à Pesquisa como Assunto/organização & administração , Seguridade Social , Protocolos Clínicos , Países em Desenvolvimento , Humanos , Auditoria Administrativa , Pesquisa Operacional , Organizações sem Fins Lucrativos , Setor Privado/ética , Setor Público/ética , Apoio à Pesquisa como Assunto/ética , Universidades , Organização Mundial da SaúdeRESUMO
Recently updated ethics rules for employees of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aim to prevent inappropriate influences on research decisions while preserving employees' professional and scientific interactions. Specific provisions require NIH employees to report their financial holdings in "substantially affected organizations" and require senior employees to divest all holdings greater than $15,000 in any single such organization. Outside institutions that receive NIH grants are bound by separate disclosure requirements. Public-private partnerships have become more important to NIH efforts to advance biomedical research in light of flat NIH budgets in recent years. Such partnerships open the door, however, to financial conflicts that must be prevented or managed in order to maintain scientific integrity and public trust.