Should informed consent be different for different cultures

When conducting research with other cultural groups and those from racial and ethnic minority groups, it is important for researchers to take into account how culture impacts conducting ethical research.

In this blog, we will focus on the how culture can color the issue of autonomy and how it applies to informed consent. The Belmont Report identifies three main principles to guide ethical research. Let us focus on the first principle which is respect for persons. For those who are not able make such decisions, mechanisms must be in place to protect these individuals.

In Western societies such as the United States, self-determination and autonomy are held paramount. That is because Western societies emphasize first-order autonomy, which promotes self-determination Hanssen, However, there is another category of autonomy: second order autonomy, where decision-making is group oriented. Typically, this will apply to more collectivistic cultures, and the decision-maker is designated by the group Hanssen, The informed consent form might have different cultural meanings.

Requiring research participants in certain cultural groups to put a signature on a consent form may also implicitly convey a lack of trust especially if they feel that a verbal consent is adequate Lloyd, Johnson, Mughal, Sturt, et. How do these concepts apply to researchers aiming to conduct ethical and culturally sensitive research? Here are some thoughts:. Even though we may hold different beliefs on what would make a good health system, the values of truth telling, respecting for persons are still appreciated and shared in common by countries with different cultures.

So what should researchers do when confronted with issues relevant to culture and customs? I think those examples mentioned above suggest us to be open to other beliefs and cultural patterns which may seem to be irrational or contrary to our individuals so that we can have an understanding of values and other factors shared by members of societies, but also to be open and honest about the limitation of health care practice and about the nature of research practice.

This departure will help us to figure out good approaches for the matter at hand in the way that may bring benefits to the targeted population while upholding good values and beliefs for a moral progress of the society. This and other blogs on ethical issues in global health are available on the Ethox Blog References 1. Norman, G. Etchells, E. Canadian Medical Association Journal : p. Lindegger, G. Ensuring valid consent in a developing country context.

Silverman, H. Middle East Fertility Society Journal, Newton, L. IRB, Alternative ways of obtaining consent could be used more often, including witnessing oral consent, verifying the quality of information for participants, or using videos to present the study and record consent. Revising consent forms could help to reassess the concept of globalized bioethics, preventing controversial practices such as those used in researching the genetics of the Havasupai tribe J.

Couzin-Frankel Science , ; You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to Gilles Guerrier. Reprints and Permissions. Guerrier, G. Informed consent: cultural differences. Nature , 36 Download citation. Published : 29 February