Ethical Concerns: How Cost Impacts Inmate Healthcare - Essay Example

? Ethical Concerns: How Cost Impacts Inmate Healthcare Ethical Concerns: How Cost Impacts Inmate Healthcare Introduction When conducting a scientific inquiry, it is necessary to consider and respect the individuals who play a role in the study, through their participation and contribution of data. Research ethics is an important aspect of any inquiry, which involves the implementation of fundamental moral and ethical principles in all research activities and processes. Various ethical concerns have been reported in studies which involve inmates. This is attributed to the vulnerability of inmates to coercion and unwarranted influence. This paper presents an assessment of various ethical concerns, which may emanate from research on how cost issues impact on inmate health care. Assessment of Ethical Concerns Informed Consent Informed consent is a significant ethical concern, which often emanates from studies among inmates. Informed consent refers to the choice of individuals in determining what should or should not happen to them (Blee & Currier, 2011). Ethical concerns may stem from research among inmates, where their voluntariness would hinder the level of participation in the study. In order to adhere to the ethics of research, the inmates will be made aware that their participation in the study is based on volunteering. An ethical dilemma may however result, if no inmate would be willing to volunteer in providing information on how costs impact the health care they receive. In order to achieve informed consent, more closure will be provided to them on the importance of the study. This is due to the fact that informed consent should be based on comprehension of important aspects of the study among participants (Stiles, Epstein, Poythress & Edens, 2012). Privacy and Confidentiality The information or data, which is collected from study subjects, must be treated as confidential and private, and therefore used only for the purposes of the study (Sontag, 2012). In this study, inmates may be concerned about the confidentiality and privacy of the information that they would provide on health care within prisons, and the associated cost considerations. Ethical breaches would be experienced if the information provided by the inmates is accessed by correctional staff and used to intimidate them. In order to prevent this ethical problem, the survey instruments will be designed in a manner that the participating inmates will not be required to provide private data, such as their names. Study subjects must be assured of the confidentiality and privacy of the information they provide, before they can participate in any study (Ramluggun, Lindsay & Pfeil, 2010). Selection of Study Subjects Fairness should be practiced in the selection of subjects for a study (Sontag, 2012). In order to achieve fairness, sampling methods, which do not have bias, will be used. For instance, random sampling will be employed in the study, to ensure that all inmates have an equal chance and opportunity of participating in the study. However, ethical dilemmas may occur if correctional staff is involved in the selection of participants. Social justice should be employed in the selection of study subjects, so that a diverse group of participants can be obtained. In this sense, unbiased and diverse data will be collected and presented for analysis and interpretation. Ethical concerns which may affect the study include racial, sexual, cultural and social biases in the selection of study subjects. These biases can be minimized through collaboration with correctional staff in unbiased selection of a diverse group of study subjects. Risks and Benefits Risk benefit assessment is an important consideration in research processes among inmates. This is due to the possibility of psychological, social, physical and emotional harm, which would result from their participation in a study (Rhodes, 2010). Ethical provisions for research stipulate that study subjects should be made aware of potential risks related to the study in addition to the associated benefits (Blee & Currier, 2011). This is important for their decisions on participation in the study. Risks that the inmates and their families face as a result of their contribution to the study will be assessed. This will allow the research to overcome ethical implications which emanate from the study processes. The social benefits of the study to the inmate community will be made known to the subjects. This will motivate their willingness to participate in the study and provide comprehensive data on health care in prisons, and how it is impacted by the associated health care costs. Vulnerability to Coercion and Undue Influence Inmates are reported to be vulnerable to undue influence and coercion. For instance, correctional staff may have significant influence in the participation of inmates in research processes (Ramluggun, Lindsay & Pfeil, 2010). This is an ethical concern, which would be overcome by ensuring that the participation of inmates in the study is voluntary. This would be achieved by implementing safeguards, which would uphold the welfare and rights of the inmates in the study processes. The inmates will not be forced to volunteer in the study process. The correctional staff will be informed on the need to uphold the rights of the inmates in the research activities. Additionally, the inmates will be informed that they have the right of withdrawing from the study at any point, as they consider it appropriate. Review of IRB Application The Institutional Review Board must be convinced that all ethical concerns are addressed before it can approve a study which involves inmates (Stiles, Epstein, Poythress & Edens, 2012). The application for approval from the IRB will include an illustration of possible ethical concerns in the study, and the associated safeguards in preventing ethical breaches. In this sense, the IRB will be persuaded to approve the study. The application for approval will include the process of selecting inmates for the study, measures of ensuring confidentiality and privacy and how the risks associated with the study will be overcome. Conclusion It is apparent from the above ethical assessment that the study on the impact of cost on inmate health care is likely to face various ethical concerns and dilemmas. Attaining informed consent from the inmates may be challenged by the level at which the inmates will be willing to volunteer for the study. The ethical concerns on confidentiality and privacy would be overcome by preventing collection or disclosure of private information of the participants. Selection of the subjects will be based on random criteria in order to prevent racial, ethnic or gender bias. The benefits and risks associated with the study will also be elaborated to the participants for their decision making needs. The study will also seek to prevent any form of influence or coercion of participants from correctional staff. It is through the implementation of ethical and moral principles that the study would obtain approval by the Institutional Review Board. References Blee, K., & Currier, A. (2011). Ethics beyond the IRB: An Introductory Essay. Qualitative Sociology, 34(3), 401-413. Ramluggun, P., Lindsay, B., & Pfeil, M. (2010). Research in Prison: A Researcher-Practitioner's View. Nurse Researcher, 17(3), 60-71 Rhodes, R. (2010). Rethinking Research Ethics. American Journal of Bioethics, 10(10), 19-36. Sontag, M. (2012). Research ethics and Institutional Review Boards. Politics & the Life Sciences, 31(1/2), 67-79 Stiles, P. G., Epstein, M., Poythress, N., & Edens, J. F. (2012). Protecting People Who Decline To Participate In Research: An Example From A Prison Setting. IRB: Ethics & Human Research, 34(2), 15-18. Read More