Ethical Issues Involving Informed Consent in the Arab Region

Abstract

Informed consent is a fundamental requirement for ethical conduct in research involving human participants. The principal of informed consent is included in all research ethics guidelines that emerged after the Nuremberg Code. Validity of an informed consent depends on the information disclosed, the understanding of participants, and their ability to assess the information and make voluntary decisions. However, present guidelines for research ethics in general and for informed consent, specifically, were developed by western countries. Other countries, including those in the Arab region, adopted the basic principles underlying these guidelines. The sections in this chapter will elaborate on the challenges investigators in the Arab region face when obtaining informed consent based on western principles, with emphasis on social structure, literacy levels, culture, therapeutic misconception, and informed consent among special groups such as IDPs and refugees. In the light of the challenges described, several methods that can improve the informed consent process in the Arab region are proposed.