Annual Report 2019
Division of Bioethics and Healthcare Law
Kenji Matsui, Tsunakuni Ikka, Waki Toya, Haruka Nakada, Hiroshi Takai, Akira Yanagibashi, Hitomi Harada
Research activities
At the Department of Bioethics and Healthcare Law, we investigate ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) regarding medical practice, biomedical research, and public health, as well as studying research ethics education. Topics we are currently interested in are, for instance, ELSI regarding clinical research involving fetuses, children, and/or patients with rare diseases, ELSI regarding clinical trials of unproven drugs/devices, ethics of learning healthcare, ELSI regarding infectious diseases, moral education for medical professionals, development of educational programs for research ethics consultants, and end-of-life issues in clinical practice.
Education
Based on the Grant by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), two young researchers are involved in the training program for research ethics consultants in the department.
List of papers published in 2019
Journal
1. Ibuki T, Yamamoto K, Matsui K. Differences in Conceptual Understanding of the “Actionability” of Incidental Findings and the Resultant Difference in Ethical Responsibility: An Empirical Study in Japan. AJOB Empir Bioeth, 11:187-194, 2020
2. Yoshida A, Nakada H, Inaba A, Takahashi M. Ethical and professional challenges encountered by Japanese healthcare professionals who provide genetic counseling services. J Genet Couns, 2020
3. Nakada H, Hasthorpe S, IJsselmuiden C, Kombe F, Ba M, Matei M, Nakamura K, Ushirozawa N, Fujiwara Y, Tashiro S. Recommendations for promoting international multi-site clinical trials-from a viewpoint of ethics review. Dev World Bioeth, 19:192-195, 2019
4. Nakada H, Takashima K. Where Can Patients Obtain Information on the Preapproval Access Pathway to Investigational Treatment in Japan? A Survey of Patient Advocacy Organizations' Websites. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev, 8:978-983, 2019
5. Nakada H, Inoue Y, Yamamoto K, Matsui K, Ikka T, Tashiro S. Public Attitudes Toward the Secondary Uses of Patient Records for Pharmaceutical Companies' Activities in Japan. Ther Innov Regul Sci, 2168479019872143, 2019