Ethical Issues in Health Research

Module title	Ethical Issues in Health Research
Module code	CSC2017
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Gretchen Bjornstad (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	0	11	0

Number students taking module (anticipated)	60

Module description

Some of the most ground-breaking research in the history of human health has also been some of the most unethical. Research that has led to breakthroughs in psychology, cancer, polio, cloning, and extreme medicine, just to name a few, would not be allowed to be conducted today.

This module will introduce you to key ethical issues in health research. Through a mix of lectures and structured small group learning (SSGL), you will be introduced to essential ethical concepts in human health research, including consent, confidentiality, deception, and coercion; consider the influence of publication bias reimbursement for research participants, and fake data; explore the challenges of conducting research with vulnerable populations; and investigate the ethics of industry funding of research. Key examples – including Henrietta Lacks, the Stanford Prison Experiment, Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments, professional guinea pigs, and the Dachau Hypothermia Experiments – will be used to prompt your learning. You will also have the opportunity to be part of a mock ethics committee, evaluating real research proposals.

If you are a student on the Medical Sciences Programme, this module can be taken with Introduction to Health Research to complete the Health Research pathway requirements for Year 2 or taken on its own as part of an interdisciplinary pathway.

This module is also open to students in Psychology and Sport & Health Sciences and will suit students who are interested in working in health research or engaging with research in their clinical practice.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to advance students’ understanding of ethical issues in health research and promote awareness of the challenges of conducting health research that is both ethical and innovative.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate an integrated understanding of the ethical principles that underpin contemporary human health research
2. Identify and interpret ethical guidelines for human health research in the UK and internationally
3. Explain the role of university and hospital ethics committees
4. Use an ethical framework to critically examine proposed and previous research studies

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Understand the importance of conducting ethically sound human health research
6. Debate the contribution of unethical research to global improvements in human health

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Direct own learning
8. Manage time, workload, and ambiguity effectively.
9. Critically reflect on own values and ethical perspective
10. Work well in teams
11. Communicate clearly and efficiently in both written and oral formats

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:

Lecture Topics:

What are ethics and why do we need them
Ethical guidelines for health research
The role of research ethics committees
Human vs animal ethics

SSGLs Topics

Consent and confidentiality
Deception and coercion
Vulnerable populations
Adverse events and fake data
Industry funding of health research
Mock Ethics Committee

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
20	127	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities	8	Lectures (4 weeks x 2hr lecture per week).
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities	12	SSGL sessions (6 weeks x 2 hour workshop per week).
Guided Independent study	65	Preparation for Lectures & SSGLs
Guided Independent Study	62	Assessment preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Completion of SSGL Tasks	Throughout the module	1,4-11	Verbal feedback within session
Participation in SSGL	Throughout module	4-7, 9-11	Verbal feedback within session

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
80	20

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Short answer question (SAQ) Online Exam	20	1 hour	1,2,4-5,7-8,11	Individual written feedback.
Contribution to class Resources Portfolio	5	Leading discussion of one contribution to the Resources Portfolio in a randomly allocated workshop.	1, 2, 4, 7-11	Summary oral feedback to the whole group
Ethical Case Studies	75	3 pages (3 ethical case studies; 1 page response to each)	1,3-9,11	Individual written feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Short answer question (SAQ) Online Exam (20 %)	Short answer question (SAQ) online exam (1 hour)	1,2,4-5,7-8,11	Ref/Def period
Portfolio of Resources (5%)	Written summary of one contribution to the Resources Portfolio related to a randomly allocated workshop topic (1 page).	1, 2, 4, 7-11	Ref/Def period
Ethical Case Studies (75%)	Ethical case studies (3 pages)	1,3-9,11	Ref/Def period

Re-assessment notes

Please also refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Farrimond, H. (2013). Doing Ethical Research. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke, UK.

Skloot, R. (2011). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Broadway Books: USA.

World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20): 2191-2194.

Students will be expected to read or view and critically appraise a range of peer-reviewed journals and online materials related to the content of this module.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10155

Web based and electronic resources will be available

Key words search

Health Research; Ethics; Clinical Trials; Psychology; History; Medicine; Health Sciences; Design; Measurement; Evaluation; Recruitment; Publication;

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	22/11/2016
Last revision date	14/12/2023