Can the use of deception be justified in medical education research? A point/counterpoint and case study

Abstract

Deception is a common feature of behavioral research design, although not commonly employed in the medical literature. It can promote scientific validity but is ethically controversial because it compromises subject autonomy and incurs additional costs. In this Point/Counterpoint monograph, we review the nature of deception in research and present arguments for and against its ethical use as a research methodology in behavioral studies. We describe the necessary guidelines, safeguards, and oversight, when deceptive methodology is considered, and report our experiences and lessons learned from conducting a multi-institutional audit study that relied upon deception of academic radiology faculty.