(USA) The Philadelphia Experiments – Quillette (Allen M. Hornblum | December 2022)
In the past, we have played a direct role in the design and delivery of HREC member professional development for the NHMRC. We are now not proud of that involvement because it embedded poor practice into the conduct of research ethics review in Australia. Cases like this are shocking and such research practice needs to be blocked from ever happening again. But the use of an egregious case of medical research from US is unlikely to be considered relevant outside of the health sciences in Australia. Rather than using such cases for shock value or as justification for research ethics review and combative review decisions, it should be used as an opportunity to discuss, vulnerability, conflicts of interest, researcher responsibilities and clinical trial monitoring. That approach might seem to be a less shocking or engaging way to go, but it should result in better review decisions.
