"Dementia encompasses a family of chronic-diseases that gradually causes permanent damage to the brain tissue. Its onset disproportionately affects elderly-individuals’ cognitive and motor abilities. Numerous studies have shown that continuous monitorization of the physiological parameters and activities of EPwD is of utmost necessity. It is commonly accepted that utilisation of Smart-Homes as an instance of Ambient-Assisted-Living technology can facilitate the care of EPwDs and improve the quality of their well-being. Smart-homes allow EPwD to lead independent and active lives. Outfitted with environmental and physiological sensors that allow patients to receive continuous, non-invasive, and seamless healthcare-service while staying in their convenient-home-environments, Smart-Homes can facilitate (1) remote monitoring of elderly patients’ homes and (2) efficient communication with traditional healthcare facilities. Significant ethical barriers impede the widespread adoption of Smart-House technology. Many Smart-Houses pose threats to the privacy, safety, and autonomy of elderly-residents. Constant dependence on ICT technology may also undermine EPwDs’ independence and leave them vulnerable to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Acknowledgment and minimization of these ethical challenges are instrumental to boosting acceptance of Smart-House technology and addressing the primary-care needs of EPwDs. Although most existing Smart-House platforms fail to accommodate the specific requirements for elderly dementia care, few notable alternatives have emerged within the UK. This paper will review the effectiveness of Smart-Home technology on current dementia-care platforms in the UK, analyses significant ethical challenges associated with Smart-House technology use, and outline appropriate risk-mitigation proposals. All recommendations will be made in congruence with a public-health prevention-model. "
Western scholars, pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions are and have been conducting research in developing countries for many years. These locations boast substantial cost savings, expedited timelines, and little to no regulatory oversight, making them attractive to developed-world researchers. Residents of these communities are impoverished, often illiterate, unemployed, and with untreated health conditions. Because established ethical protocols for international research are often compromised or misconstrued by researchers and/or their sponsors, these individuals are left vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. In this paper, I explore how current utilization of ethical guidelines is enabling exploitation. I identify ethical questions regarding subject recruitment, informed consent, standard of care, and the post-trial obligations of researchers. I then examine specific situations in which exploitation occurred because of drug, vaccine, or clinical trials. I conclude by offering recommendations to create a more streamlined approach to international research that takes into account the experiences and needs of vulnerable populations. This approach helps ensure that participants are fully involved in the ethical approval process; able to choose whether or not to participate without any undue influence or pressure; treated with the standard of care best suited to their context and surroundings; and reasonably given access to any interventions proven effective during the course of the trial.. A respect for beneficence, justice, and self-autonomy should guide researchers’ interactions with subjects before, during, and after the trial.
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