Knowledge, Attitude and Barriers to Ethical Aspects of Biomedical Research by Medical Practitioners in a Tertiary Hospital

Introduction: Ethical norms in research promote the aims of research such as knowledge, truth and avoidance of error. Observing ethics in clinical research is very important and this should be well known by all health care practitioners. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of doctors working in a tertiary hospital about research ethics and the barriers they encounter in the ethical conduct of research.

Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 215 doctors in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria to determine their knowledge of the concepts of ethics in research, their research practices and perceived barriers to ethical conduct of research. Data obtained was analysed with SPSS v 20 and reported as Tables and charts. Chi square was used to test for differences between categorical variables and a P value < .05 was regarded as significant.

Results: There were 108 consultants, while the rest were medical officers and resident doctors. The consultants were more active in research and 42% had between ten to fourteen published articles. There was fairly adequate knowledge of the 5 concepts of research ethics tested, with 90% who had knowledge of GCP. Common perceived barriers to ethical research conduct were poor funding and cultural beliefs.

Conclusion: There remains a gap between knowledge of ethical research conduct and actual practice. This should be addressed by improved sensitization and oversight by the regulatory agencies and the IEC.