Percepção de equipes laboratoriais quanto a questões de bem-estar animal / Perception of laboratory staff regarding animal welfare issues

As equipes laboratoriais controlam diversas características do ambiente dos animais utilizados em pesquisas. Portanto, suas atitudes têm grande influência no bem-estar animal (BEA) e nos resultados obtidos. Buscou-se verificar o conhecimento e a percepção dessas equipes em relação a questões de BEA. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário online composto por 22 questões abertas e 23 fechadas. As respostas são referentes a 62 participantes de diversas instituições de pesquisa brasileiras. Dezesseis (25,8%) não receberam treinamento para exercer suas funções, e 11 (18,0%) realizavam ou coordenavam procedimentos com potencial para causar dor ou morte. O principal fator limitante relatado para o uso de animais em pesquisas foi referente a questões éticas (38; 63,3%). Todos declararam conhecer o significado do termo BEA; porém, a maioria dos conceitos expressos foi de forma parcial (32; 64,0%). Tais resultados podem estar relacionados ao caráter optativo ou à indisponibilidade do ensino de BEA na maioria dos cursos de graduação no Brasil. Os animais vertebrados foram percebidos pelos respondentes como portadores de alto grau de senciência. Espécies em contato social e afetivo com os seres humanos foram vistas como mais sencientes que outros grupos. O número de respondentes interessados em um projeto de enriquecimento ambiental (34; 69,4%) sugere preocupação com o BEA. Os resultados apresentados podem subsidiar a localização de pontos críticos de BEA em laboratórios brasileiros e indicam possibilidades para melhoria no conhecimento científico de questões centrais relativas ao BEA.

Laboratory staff controls a series of environmental parameters affecting animals used in research. Therefore, staff attitudes influence both animal welfare (AW) and research results. This study aimed to verify the knowledge and perception of staff members on AW. Data were collected through a 22 open-question and 23 multiple-choice question online survey. 62 respondents from Brazilian institutions answered the survey. Sixteen (25.8%) participants did not receive training for their functions, from which 11 (18.0%) performed or coordinated procedures that may induce pain or death. The main limiting factor for the use of animals in research was ethical issues (38, 63.3%). All participants reported to know the meaning of AW, but most of the concepts given were partial (32, 64.0%). These results may be related to the unavailable or optional teaching of AW in most undergraduate courses in Brazil. Vertebrates were perceived by respondents as highly sentient. Species with a social and affective bond with human beings were seen as more sentient than other groups. There was interest in an environmental enrichment project (34, 69.4%) suggesting concern with AW. These results can collaborate in the identification of critical issues in AW in Brazilian laboratories and indicate opportunities to improve scientific knowledge of key issues related to AW.

Conducting research in community-based care facilities: ethical and regulatory implications.

Successful research in community-based care settings requires collaboration between facility staff and researchers. The ethical conduct of research involves respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Research must comply with specific federal regulations and state laws. Interviews with 15 community-based care facility administrators revealed differences in understanding how research is regulated and the influence that research might have when a facility provides access to researchers. A Facility Bill of Rights describes principles related to the ethical conduct of research and questions to consider when deciding whether to provide researchers with access to a facility.

Ethical aspects of limiting residents' work hours.

DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM: The regulation of residents' work hours involves several ethical conflicts which need to be systematically analysed and evaluated. ARGUMENTS AND CONCLUSION: The most important ethical principle when regulating work hours is to avoid the harm resulting from the over-work of physicians and from an excessive division of labour. Additionally, other ethical principles have to be taken into account, in particular the principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence for future patients and for physicians. The article presents arguments for balancing the relevant ethical principles and analyses the structural difficulties that occur unavoidably in any regulation of the complex activities of physicians.

Legal and regulatory education and training needs in the healthcare industry.

As in any other industry, laws and regulations significantly impact the functioning of the healthcare industry. Some laws, such as those relating to malpractice and social insurance systems, affect the manner in which the industry operates. Other laws, such as those regulating antitrust and employment practices, affect the organization and the environment in which the industry operates. It is increasingly important that practitioners and managers be cognizant of this complex and dynamic legal minefield. This study examined healthcare managers and executives' knowledge of 9 key issues in the legal and regulatory environment of the healthcare industry. Specifically, the study focused on knowledge concerning tort and contract liability, insurance law, labor and employment regulation, criminal and ethical responsibility, antitrust regulation, the law governing business associations and recent developments. Findings suggest that the levels of knowledge required to manage legal and regulatory issues are much greater than the existing levels of knowledge.

Navigating federalwide assurance requirements when conducting research in community-based care settings.

There is an urgent need for research on quality of life and healthcare delivery for older adults living in community-based care settings, yet implementing current federalwide assurance (FWA) requirements can be a challenge in these settings. This paper discusses FWA requirements for engagement in federally funded research as the requirements pertain to community-based care settings. Factors that impede community facilities in achieving FWA approval include lack of organizational structure to provide oversight for the ethical conduct of research, administrator concerns regarding potential liability associated with obtaining the FWA, lack of resources to complete required paperwork, and lack of staff knowledge about human subjects protection and federal requirements for participating in research. Effects of the FWA process on investigators include the burden of extra time needed to support community-based facilities to acquire a FWA and concerns that studies may be limited to only those community facilities with the resources to complete the FWA process. Investigator-initiated strategies for conducting research in community-based settings include considering study designs that are exempt from the FWA process and proactively assisting community-based facilities to acquire FWA status. Investigators need to work with potential research sites and the office for human research protections to ensure that subjects are protected without shifting the burden of protection to ill-prepared community administrators.

Ethics and regulation in organ procurement research.

This article explores the role of ethics and regulation in human research conducted by organ procurement agencies; basic ethical principles for human research are outlined. Organ procurement agencies are not required to observe federal regulations; however, voluntary adherence will ensure that procurement research is conducted according to current standards of ethical practice. Although most organ procurement research will qualify for exempt status, this determination should be made by an institutional review board. Even if studies qualify for exempt status, there is a moral presumption that informed consent should be sought, unless certain narrow conditions for waiver of consent are satisfied. Finally, when future research utilizing organ procurement records is anticipated, procurement coordinators should provide sufficiently detailed information to families about such plans to permit their advance informed consent to research activities.