Issues Related to Clinical Trials - Essay Example

In participating in a clinical trial, human subjects must be informed of their pros and cons. Among the pros of clinical trials are the following: the participants will be able to play an active role in their health care, they will be the first one to access new research treatments before it becomes widely available, and participants will be entitled to obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities during the trial, and they will help others by participating to the medical research. The investigator must also inform the participants of the consequences such as the possible occurrence of unpleasant, serious, or life-threatening reactions during experiments, ineffective experimental treatment for the participant, and protocol complexity requiring more time and attention from participants.

 Although there are standard protocols for a clinical trial, ethical concerns cannot be avoided. Issues regarding confidentiality of information and beneficence might be violated. In discovering a new treatment, the risk involved in a clinical trial does not guarantee a good effect for the participant; the same goes through with unexpected leaks of private information.