Please allow me to thank and congratulate Dr. Michael Glick for his excellent October editorial, "Ethical Considerations in Publishing Research Involving Human Subjects" (
JADA 2007;138[10]:1300–2[Free Full Text]
). For too long, dentistry has indulged in a laissez-faire attitude toward clinical research, especially when done in private practices. At virtually every scientific meeting I attend, clinicians cite "research" done in their offices to support a particular product or procedure. What’s even more surprising are the number of journals that are eager to publish such findings. It is refreshing to see JADA take a stand against this kind of human exploitation.
One issue Dr. Glick neglected to mention is the amount of clinical research being done in developing countries. Such countries may not adhere to the Helsinki accords, and the rules for institutional review are often lax or absent. Should a different set of rules apply to patients in developing countries? An argument might be made that patients in such countries are so poor and have so little access to dental care that paying them to take part in a risky experiment is not only ethical, but beneficial. I would argue the opposite.
If we are truly a compassionate and humane society, we must respect the dignity of every human being, and condemn those who attempt to circumvent the institutional review boards of highly developed countries by conducting research on the desperately poor inhabitants of the third world.
