Research Ethics Governance in Disaster Situations

Abstract

Ethical scrutiny of research in disaster situations has to abide by the same ethical principles as any research involving humans. However, due to time constraints, ethics review procedures need to be particularly timely and flexible, and at the same time sufficiently stringent due to the potentially greater vulnerability of study communities. Given the dearth of guidance for ethics review of disaster research, several approaches have recently been proposed either embedded in broader ethics guidelines or examining explicitly the specific requirements for disaster research. Some of these approaches are being implemented in practice by the Ethics Review Board instituted by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF ERB), such as adapting the stringency of the review process to the potential risk of the research, functioning in a decentralised manner through electronic media, using an expedited review mechanism and preapproval of a “generic” research protocol. While doing so, some issues are given special attention: enhanced vulnerability, harms and benefits to the disaster-stricken population, informed consent, community involvement, dual use of tissue samples, and the humanitarian/therapeutic misconception.