A visit to St. Agnes hospital provided me the opportunity to familiarize with different protection policies involving human research. My trip was made possible by the warm reception at the hospital. The St. Agnes hospital has 489 licensed beds and an efficient program unit. The hospital facilities are fully equipped with standard medical equipment. I proceeded to the public relations office to inform them of my visit. I was hosted by the officer in charge. Mr. Smith Cannon greeted me with a firm handshake and motioned me to a seat beside the door. This report accesses the conditions and treatment procedures affecting human subjects in the hospital. I visited several units within the hospital, the units include emergency wards, medical and surgery units, neurology units, cancer units and the microbiology laboratory. I chatted with three patients at the emergency unit and documented their responses to several questions concerning human safety.
The policy on human protection during research reveals that human subjects must be treated with honesty. Each research must be done with the full knowledge of the patient and informed consent must be approved by the test subject. Record files and data of patients must be kept confidential. No matter the situation, each patient’s rights to confidentiality cannot be removed (Beecher, 1966).
Ethical principles in St. Agnes hospital
The hospital’s policy in protecting human subjects is ongoing. The records I saw showed an effective method of implementing the policy. The staff are vaccinated and tested before employment and this measure prevents influenza infections. The ethical principles can be summarized into three categories.
- Patient autonomy: The hospital’s policy includes respect for the rights of each subject. The choice of each patient is considered by the hospital management, except where such a decision is considered harmful to the patient. When the patient has no autonomy over his or her decision, the hospital management provides protection for the individual. The rights of each individual are maintained throughout their stay in the hospital (Veatch, 1975).
- Patient satisfaction: Human subjects receive maximum benefits during their stay in the hospital. Each staff signs the mandatory policy observance form. A staff may lose his or her job is he or she violates any section of the signed agreement. The medication administered provides maximum benefits to the patient
- Information: The patient knows his or her medical condition and treatment procedures. The information regarding each test result is available for the patient. All research and treatment must receive the patient’s approval. I observed that when the patient could not understand the information provided, the management provided other channels of communication to the patient.
- Confidentiality: Patient’s confidentiality is a priority. Documentation of different business policy was used to compile the written agreement. Each staff in the hospital documents a copy of the confidential form. Research analysis is kept secret and used with individual’s authority. The consent of the patient or human subject is required for future reference to any part of the documented report (Fred, 1974).
Finally, my visit to St. Agnes hospital has exposed me to various concepts of human protection. The safety of human subjects during research is the first task during and after the research. The policy on human safety during research is well understood and I can make recommendations in any research organization if appointed.
References
Beecher, H. (1966). Ethics and clinical research. Routledge, London: American Academy Press.
Fred, C. (1974). Medical experimentation: Personal integrity and social policy. New York, USA: Maxon Press.
Veatch, R. (1975). Human experimentation committees: Professional or representative? New York, USA: Hastings Press.