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Perceptions of Equipoise, Risk–Benefit Ratios, and “Otherwise Healthy Volunteers” in the Context of Early-Phase HIV Cure Research in the United States: A Qualitative Inquiry

Perceptions of Equipoise, Risk–Benefit Ratios, and “Otherwise Healthy Volunteers” in the Context... Early-phase HIV cure research is conducted against a background of highly effective antiretroviral therapy, and involves risky interventions in individuals who enjoy an almost normal life expectancy. To explore perceptions of three ethical topics in the context of HIV cure research—(a) equipoise, (b) risk–benefit ratios, and (c) “otherwise healthy volunteers”—we conducted 36 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with three groups of purposively selected key informants: clinician-researchers (n = 11), policy-makers and bioethicists (n = 13), and people living with HIV (PLWHIV; n = 12). Our analysis revealed variability in perceptions of equipoise. Second, most key informants believed there was no clear measure of risk–benefit ratios in HIV cure research, due in part to the complexity of weighing (sometimes unknown) risks to participants and (sometimes speculative) benefits to science and society. Third, most clinician-researchers and policy-makers/bioethicists viewed potential HIV cure study participants as “otherwise healthy volunteers,” but this perception was not shared among PLWHIV in our study. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics SAGE

Perceptions of Equipoise, Risk–Benefit Ratios, and “Otherwise Healthy Volunteers” in the Context of Early-Phase HIV Cure Research in the United States: A Qualitative Inquiry

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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2017
ISSN
1556-2646
eISSN
1556-2654
DOI
10.1177/1556264617734061
Publisher site
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Abstract

Early-phase HIV cure research is conducted against a background of highly effective antiretroviral therapy, and involves risky interventions in individuals who enjoy an almost normal life expectancy. To explore perceptions of three ethical topics in the context of HIV cure research—(a) equipoise, (b) risk–benefit ratios, and (c) “otherwise healthy volunteers”—we conducted 36 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with three groups of purposively selected key informants: clinician-researchers (n = 11), policy-makers and bioethicists (n = 13), and people living with HIV (PLWHIV; n = 12). Our analysis revealed variability in perceptions of equipoise. Second, most key informants believed there was no clear measure of risk–benefit ratios in HIV cure research, due in part to the complexity of weighing (sometimes unknown) risks to participants and (sometimes speculative) benefits to science and society. Third, most clinician-researchers and policy-makers/bioethicists viewed potential HIV cure study participants as “otherwise healthy volunteers,” but this perception was not shared among PLWHIV in our study.

Journal

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics – SAGE

Published: Feb 1, 2018

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