Ethics education for clinician–researchers in genetics: The combined approach

Publication date: Available online 16 December 2014 Source:Applied & Translational Genomics Author(s): Ma'n Zawati , Eliza Cohen , David Parry , Denise Avard , David Syncox Advancements in genomic technology and genetic research have uncovered new and unforeseen ethical and legal issues that must now be faced by clinician–researchers. However, lack of adequate ethical training places clinician–researchers in a position where they might be unable to effectively assess and resolve the issues presented to them. The literature demonstrates that ethics education is relevant and engaging where it is targeted to the level and context of the learners, and it includes real-world based cases approached in innovative ways. In order to test the feasibility of a combined approach to ethics education, a conference was held in 2012 to raise awareness and familiarize participants with the ethical and legal issues surrounding medical technology in genetics and then to have them apply this to reality-based case studies. The conference included participants from a variety of backgrounds and was divided into three sections: (i) informative presentations by experts in the field; (ii) mock REB deliberations; and (iii) a second mock-REB, conducted by a panel of experts. Feedback from participants was positive and indicated that they felt the learning objectives had been met and that the material was presented in a clear and organized fashion. Although only an example of the com...
Source: Applied and Translational Genomics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research