The many meanings of care in clinical research

Bibliographic Data

ID2265786
AuthorsMichele M Easter (0000-0003-4294-4133, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Gail E Henderson (0000-0002-4968-7064, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Arlene M Davis (0000-0001-6486-0446, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Larry R Churchill (Ethics and Public Policy Center), Nancy M P King (0000-0001-9460-7484, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Year2006
Volume28
Issue6
Pages695-712
Publication date2006-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00537.x
PMID17184413
OpenAlexW1486943396
LanguageEN
Citations received33
References cited39

The conduct of clinical research often involves two distinguishable sets of relationships: the researcher-subject relationship, and the clinician-patient relationship. Some scholars argue that being a patient in a clinical care setting and a subject in a research study are so different that anything that would promote in subjects the view that they are in clinician-patient relationships is exploitative and deceptive. This paper presents findings intended to initiate a more empirically-based discussion of this issue. Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with physician-investigators, nurse-study coordinators and patient-subjects in early phase clinical trials, we find that research personnel are likely to be seen, and to see themselves, as clinical caregivers. We also find evidence that while researchers and subjects often tend to view care and research as conflicting activities, both parties tend to see research as a way of caring for patients. We found no relationship, however, between subjects' perception of care-giving by researchers and the tendency to misunderstand that they are in a research study. Because research, by necessity and inclination, is unlikely ever to be 'care-free', we recommend that the ethical debate surrounding the danger of confusing research with treatment take into account the kinds of care described by respondents

Clinical research · Clinical trial · Perception · Subject (documents · Ethics in Clinical Research · Ethics in medical practice · Medicine · Nursing · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Psychology · Social Psychology