Emergency Research Status in the Middle Eastern Region

Abstract

Conducting research in emergency settings is paramount to advance knowledge and experiences on dealing with critically ill patients. However, the involvement of highly vulnerable subjects, who are mostly incapable of consenting to research participation is challenging. This research paper describes the extent of emergency research and its related ethical issues within emergency settings in the Middle East. A literature review covering several databases was conducted. Several studies conducted within the emergency departments in the Middle Eastern region were located. All studies focused on provision of emergency care, while none described aspects of emergency research. Current literature indicates a dearth of research concerning emergency research settings in developing countries mainly in the Middle Eastern region. Up to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research paper to review the available literature on emergency research in the Middle East. Findings from this review suggests that more efforts focusing on emergency research should be encouraged and stimulated in the region, in order to improve the effectiveness and safety of healthcare provision to critically ill patients within emergency departments. Adding to that, our findings stimulate the needs for regulatory bodies and regulations that help overcome the main ethical issues surrounding the principle of obtaining informed consents in emergency settings.