World Medical Association
JAMA. Published online October 19, 2024.
Preamble
1. The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human participants, including research using identifiable human material or data.
The Declaration is intended to be read as a whole, and each of its constituent paragraphs should be applied with consideration of all other relevant paragraphs.
2. While the Declaration is adopted by physicians, the WMA holds that these principles should be upheld by all individuals, teams, and organizations involved in medical research, as these principles are fundamental to respect for and protection of all research participants, including both patients and healthy volunteers.
Here are some thoughts:
The World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki outlines ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. It emphasizes the primacy of patient well-being, the importance of scientific integrity, and the need to protect participant rights and privacy. Research must be justified by its potential benefits, minimize risks, and involve informed consent. Vulnerable populations require special consideration, and post-trial provisions must be made for participants. Researchers have a duty to publish results, both positive and negative, and to ensure ethical conduct throughout the research process.
