Protection of Research Subjects: Do Special Rules Apply in Epidemiology?

Abstract

... Before we dismiss ethics as nothing more than a cause of confusion and needless worry, I think we need to take a careful look at epidemiologists' ethical obligations to research subjects. In doing so, we should pay particular attention to three points: first, the difference between harming someone and wronging them; second, the role of informed consent in protecting against such wrongs; and third, the steps that can be taken to avoid or minimize particular harms associated with breaches of privacy and confidentiality.