HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kapp, M B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kapp, M B

Ethical and legal issues in research involving human subjects: do you want a piece of me?

Correspondence to:
Marshall B Kapp
Garwin Distinguished Professor of Law and Medicine, School of Law, Southern Illinois University, 1150 Douglas Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901-6804, USA; kapp{at}siu.edu
ABSTRACT
The conduct of biomedical research involving the participation of human beings implicates a variety of ethical concerns pertaining to such values as dignity, bodily integrity, autonomy, and privacy. These ethical concerns have been translated into a complex regulatory apparatus in the USA, containing specific legal provisions concerning such matters as participant safety, informed consent, and confidentiality. A topic of particular interest for pathologists is the handling of human tissue specimens that may be used for present, or stored for future, research purposes. This article examines the ethical and legal ramifications of obtaining and storing tissue samples for research purposes, with special attention to the issues of informed consent and confidentiality.

Abbreviations: AAMC, Association of American Medical Colleges; HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; IRB, institutional review board; OHRP, Office of Human Research Protections; PHI, protected health information

Keywords: ethics; law; research; tissue