Human Subjects in Clinical Research — A Report of Three Studies

Abstract

THE search for new drugs and technics of medical care requires that man be the final experimental animal.The safeguards for volunteers have thus far assumed two forms. The first has been formal review. Committees in institutions and governmental agencies often review the purposes, methods, risks and precautions in experiments involving human volunteers. The second form, long established though sometimes neglected, has been the safeguard of informed consent. This procedure requires that before the volunteer consents to the experiment, he be given a clear explanation of the risks and discomfort he might expect during the experiment. As new technical procedures . . .