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Yale Bioethics

Quality Matters: Improving Communication in Research and Practice

Both informed consent in research and informed decision making in clinical practice are rooted in the same ethical principle of respect for autonomy. Although a great deal has been written about the importance of these activities and how to perform them with research subjects or patients, research suggests that gaps continue to exist between what experts believe is possible and how informed decision making actually occurs in research or in practice.

In this meeting, we hope to bring together an interdisciplinary field of experts in informed consent and informed decision making to explore the current barriers and successes that might help us move toward broad improvements in the quality of decision making in both arenas.  We hope to address future directions for research, practice, education, and policy.

Click here to download the powerpoint presentations from this symposium.

Agenda

8:30    Continental Breakfast

9:00    Opening and Welcome

              David H. Smith, PhD, Director Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics

9:15     Current Status of Effectiveness of Quality of Informed Consent in Clinical Research

              Patricia Agre PhD, Director of Patient Education, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

10:00  Response

             Stephen Latham, JD, PhD, Deputy Director of Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics

             Commentary and group discussion

10:30  Break

10:45  Current Status of Quality of Informed decision making in Clinical Practice

             Annette O’Connor, MScN, PhD, FCAHS, Senior Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa                Hospital Research Institute

11:20  Response

             Julie Rosenbaum, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

             Commentary and group discussion

11:50  Break

12:15 Lunch and Brief Response

            What Health Care Quality Research and Approaches Might Contribute

            Thomas Meehan, MD, MPH, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Qualidigm

            Open group discussion to determine important questions that need to be addressed.

            Possible questions for discussion:

  • What are salient similarities and differences between research and clinical realm?
  • Questions that need to be addressed for future research ideas?
  • Educational imperatives?
  • What systemic and policy issues need to be addressed? 
  • Measurement tools?
  • Reimbursement?
  • Structural aspects?