EVOLUTION OF PATIENT RIGHTS - Essay Example

Human respect is the main pillar of basic ethical principles. Beneficence dilates upon not harming the individual at all or minimizing the harm and raising the benefits. Information and comprehension are interdependent in scientific research. Evolution of Patient Rights Abuses in human subjects in biomedical practices were reported which drew public attention particularly after Second World War. Physicians experimenting in prisoner camps wee trailed under Nuremberg code for paving way to carryout future research in ethical manner.

Nuremberg code and Belmont report revolve around single purpose of empowering human beings in deciding the matters of day-to-day life. Nuremberg code lays emphasis upon powering involved people to give consent and exercise free power on the matters like fraud and other constraints. People must have great understanding to reach viable solutions of ethical, medical and human problems (National Institutes of Health, 1949). Belmont report consists of principles on human matters for resolving the ethical problems.

This report deliberately tells about three main principles and these are respect of the person, beneficence and justice to the people while resolving the ethical problems. These principles are truly applicable in modern day trials and experiments. All three principles are playing role to treat the people ethically. This also protects abnormal people from certain abuses of biomedical experiments (National Institutes of Health, 1979). During and after the Second World War certain abuses on human subjects in biomedical experiments were reported that drew great human attention to the matter.

Nazi doctors placed naked prisoners in ice-cold tubs for knowing the lowest temperature of human survival. In this effect, Nuremberg code was made to set principles for judging treatment by physicians in prison camps. Nuremberg code consists of rules to guide investigators for research in human subjects but these do not cater for complex situations (Elnimeiri, 2008). Nuremburg code clearly stated 10 standards for doctors to follow while carrying out research about human subjects. Standard 1 focused on the need of voluntary consent of human subject and was described as absolute.

Other standards also provide guideline to researchers and identify the limits of research on human subjects (National Institutes of Health, 1949). Belmont report consists of principles and guidelines on human subjects to find solution of human problems. The report defines boundaries between biomedical and behavioural research. It provides help in selection of areas of research in human subjects. Report highlights the importance of formal research for ensuring the protection of the patient (Zimmerman, 1997).

Human respect is the main pillar of basic ethical principles. Mental disability and illness leads to lose of self-determination in people. Such people must be given the option of volunteering themselves for research as such as people need more protection during research and afterwards also (Ballas, 2008). Beneficence dilates upon not harming the individual at all or minimizing the harm and raising the benefits. “Do not harm” has been the basic principle of all medical treatment since start of medical research.

Individual must be properly informed about the type of harm and extent of harm. In this process entire society is exposed to harm as individual is also important part of