An In-Depth Analysis: Ethical Concerns in Willowbrook Hospital Study

This case study examines the ethical violations that occurred at Willowbrook Hospital in New York. The study focuses on the deliberate infection of children with mental disabilities with hepatitis, the denial of residential treatment, and the unsanitary conditions. The analysis highlights the violation of voluntary consent, as parents were coerced into allowing their children to participate in research without full disclosure of risks. The study identifies vulnerable populations and the ethical issues surrounding their involvement in research, including the lack of informed consent and the failure to protect participants from harm. Recommendations include legal steps, investigation of individual needs, and increased accountability for healthcare professionals. The conclusion emphasizes the unethical nature of the study and suggests that effective policies and protocols could have mitigated the issues. The assignment draws from various sources to support its arguments.

WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL STUDY
NEW YORK STATE

INTRODUCTION
• The research is going to be
developed based on the case
• In given case, authorities of Willow
Brook Hospital had refused to
admit the children (Laventhal, Tarini
& Lantos, 2012).
• The study will be based on this
ethical vulnerability

CONTD
• Moreover, different ethical issues
that have taken place will be
identified and discussed
(Laventhal, Tarini & Lantos,
2012).

OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
• The study has been developed
based on the incident that had
occurred in Willowbrook
Hospital, New York
• Children with mental disabilities
suffered from hepatitis due to
deliberate infection (Pozgar,
2019)
• Residential Treatment Facility
was not given to these children
and they were kept in unsanitary
conditions

CONTD
• Perhaps the principle of voluntary
concept has been violated (Pozgar,
2019)
• The parents were forced to make their
children participate in the research
and participants were compelled to
take part in the study

IDENTIFICATION OF VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS
• Approximately 350 participants
have been recognized as the
vulnerable population
• The vulnerable population used in
study were decisionally or
cognitively impaired
individuals(Boiral, Heras,,
Brotherton & Bernard, 2019)

ANALYSIS OF VULNERABLE POPULATION
• These individuals in Willowbrook
Hospital study were vulnerable as
they had limited capacity to offer
informed consent to participate in
research(Boiral, Heras, Brotherton
& Bernard, 2019)
• It can be elucidated that the
principle of voluntary consent has
been violated

CONTD.
• Parents were coerced in
consenting the children
(Boiral, Heras,
Brotherton & Bernard,
2019)

CONTD
• Self-determination right of the
parents had been violated
• The special consideration that
should be made to carry out ethical
research with mentally or physically
impaired population includes:
encouraging wellbeing of these
vulnerable population involved or
affected by research, respecting
their right to dignity, autonomy,
equality and diversity (Laventhal,
Tarini & Lantos, 2012).

ETHICAL ISSUES: WILLOWBROOK
STUDY
• Different ethical issues have been
identified in the research context
• The primary ethical issue that has
taken place in this regard is
violation of voluntary consent
(Shen, Wolf, Gonzalez &
Garwood, 2020)

CONTD
• Another ethical issue
was participants were
not secured from harm.
Even new patients who
were healthy got
infected (Laventhal,
Tarini & Lantos, 2012).

CONTD.
• Another ethical issue recruitment of
respondents which included mentally
disabled children (Shen, Wolf,
Gonzalez & Garwood, 2020)
• Researchers were aware that parents
sought for facility that would take
care of their children. The researchers
engaged new patients by telling their
parents that facility was overcrowded
and that their children would be taken
into the facility if they participated in
study. Researchers did not completely
disclosed study details to parents.

ANALYSE ETHICAL ISSUES
The ethical principles that was violated
in Willowbrook study includes:
• Principles of informed consent
The researchers did not revealed
complete information and details of
associated risks and benefit of study to
parents to recruit patients and get their
consent. Intentionally information was
held back to get consent (Shen, Wolf,
Gonzalez & Garwood, 2020)
Moreover participants were not informed
about their right to restrain from study or
withdraw consent at any time

CONTD.
• It has been identified that the parents
must not be forced (Shen, Wolf,
Gonzalez & Garwood, 2020)
• The parents have been coerced to
take, part in the research which was
unethical by nature and violates
principle of non-exploitation in
research. Parents were not fully
informed about potential harms that
may arise during study and research
did not included mechanism for
compensation such as insurance cover
to address risks and offer remedial
measures and aftercare.

STRATEGY RECOMMENDATIONS
• It can be recommended that the social
authority must take some legal steps
• Perhaps in order to understand the
entire scenario it has become necessary
to investigate the individual
requirements of the children (Shen,
Wolf, Gonzalez & Garwood, 2020)
• Moreover, the health care professionals
must be sufficiently liable and
concerned towards their profession.
By making such strategic
recommendations the identified issues
can be dealt well.

CONCLUSION
• It can be concluded that entire
scenario that had taken place in the
hospital was very unethical
• For personal gain the individual
requirements of the patients should not
have been ignored (Pozgar, 2019).
• Moreover it was unethical because the
researchers should not have forced
anyone to participate in the research
• After analysis it can be stated that with
the help of effective policies and
protocols the entire scenario could
have been handled well during the
study

REFERENCES
Boiral, O., Heras-Saizarbitoria, I., Brotherton, M. C., & Bernard, J. (2019).
Ethical issues in the assurance of sustainability reports: Perspectives from assurance
providers. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(4), 1111-1125. Retrieved
from:10.1007/s10551-018- 3840-3
Laventhal, N., Tarini, B. A., & Lantos, J. (2012). Ethical issues in neonatal and pediatric
clinical trials. Pediatric Clinics, 59(5), 1205-1220. Retrieved from:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.07.007
Pozgar, G. D. (2019). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals. Jones &
Bartlett Learning. Burlington, USA. Retrieved from
http://samples.jblearning.com/9781284036794/9781284069761_FMxx_Cropped.pdf
Shen, F. X., Wolf, S. M., Gonzalez, R. G., & Garwood, M. (2020). Ethical
Issues Posed by Field Research Using Highly Portable and Cloud- Enabled
Neuroimaging. Neuron, 105(5), 771-775. Retrieved from:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.041