Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)
Older people in long-term care settings as research informants: Ethical challenges
List of Authors: Suhonen R, Stolt M, Leino-Kilpi H
Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
Publication year: 2013
Journal: Nursing Ethics
Journal name in source: NURSING ETHICS
Journal acronym: NURS ETHICS
Number in series: 5
Volume number: 20
Issue number: 5
Start page: 551
End page: 567
Number of pages: 17
ISSN: 0969-7330
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733012463722
Abstract
Conducting nursing research in long-term care facilities and with samples of older people requires careful attention to research ethics and the ethical conduct of the study. This review analysed the research ethics of the empirical studies that focus on older people in long-term care settings as research participants. Articles (n = 66) focussing on older people in long-term care settings as research informants were retrieved from an electronic search of MEDLINE (1990 to February 2012) using the MESH terms Nursing' AND Long-term care' (578 citations) and Institutionalization' and Nursing' (89 citations). Ethical approval procedure was reported in more than half of the studies (58%) and informed consent in two-thirds of the studies (70%). Ethical issues in data collection were described in most of the articles, but only a few reported ethics in problem statement, reporting or presenting implications. There is a need to focus on reporting research ethics and procedures in empirical research on vulnerable people.
Conducting nursing research in long-term care facilities and with samples of older people requires careful attention to research ethics and the ethical conduct of the study. This review analysed the research ethics of the empirical studies that focus on older people in long-term care settings as research participants. Articles (n = 66) focussing on older people in long-term care settings as research informants were retrieved from an electronic search of MEDLINE (1990 to February 2012) using the MESH terms Nursing' AND Long-term care' (578 citations) and Institutionalization' and Nursing' (89 citations). Ethical approval procedure was reported in more than half of the studies (58%) and informed consent in two-thirds of the studies (70%). Ethical issues in data collection were described in most of the articles, but only a few reported ethics in problem statement, reporting or presenting implications. There is a need to focus on reporting research ethics and procedures in empirical research on vulnerable people.