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Category: Research Articles
October 01, 2007
Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of an antiprotozoal and an antibacterial, for treatment of diarrhoea, have been available in the Indian pharmaceutical market for about a decade. There is little evidence to substantiate this combination therapy. We evaluated 2,163 physician prescriptions for diarrh...
July 01, 2007
Research on violence and abuse, particularly involving vulnerable groups such as women and children, has many ethical ramifications. There are few published reports in India on ethical guidelines and standards in this area. This paper reviews Child Abuse: India 2007, a study conducted by th...
July 01, 2007
After the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, came into effect, a number of patients have filed cases against doctors. This article presents a summary of legal decisions related to medical negligence: what constitutes negligence in civil and criminal law, and what is required to prove it.
July 01, 2007
Laws that regulate the identification of a foetus and the termination of a pregnancy in India are shaped by their social context. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, discriminates against unmarried women by not recognising that unwanted pregnancies in unmarried women could result in a...
April 01, 2007
We conducted a qualitative study to determine the range of promotional practices influencing drug usage in Mumbai. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 senior executives in drug companies, 25 chemists and 25 doctors; focus group discussions were held with 36 medical representatives.
April 01, 2007
This article explores instances of dysfunctional behaviour in resident doctors and examines the causes. It looks at the cultural competency training procedures for doctors in some institutions. There is a need for greater competency and diversity training of resident doctors. Counselling services...
January 01, 2007
This survey of obstetricians' knowledge and practices in two districts in Kerala, India, finds a number of unethical practices: most providers are unaware of the value of the rapid screening test for HIV; they do not give pregnant women the option to refuse testing;testing is done without counsel...
January 01, 2007
The autonomy of patients in making medical decisions is increasingly recognised globally, but is not fully adhered to in India. Information is the first step for a patient to be able to make a decision on his or her health care. The objective of this survey was to ascertain patients' perspectives...
October 01, 2006
There are guidelines in India for assisted reproductive technology but not specifically for posthumous assisted reproduction. The ethical concerns of using sperm from a dead man either with his explicit prior consent or by inferred consent, which is not easy to determine, need to be examined. Ris...
October 01, 2006
This article discusses the findings of a decade-old study on blood pressure among a tribal population in north Sikkim. These findings continue to be relevant today. Hypertension is a significant problem in this region. However, the local health institutions do not identify this as an important he...