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Journal article : Review

Justice: a key consideration in health policy and systems research ethics

Abstract:
Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is increasingly being funded and conducted worldwide. There are currently no specific guidelines or criteria for the ethical review and conduct of HPSR. Academic debates on HPSR ethics in the scholarly literature can inform the development of guidelines. Yet there is a deficiency of academic bioethics work relating to justice in HPSR. This gap is especially problematic for a field like HPSR, which can entail studies that intervene in ways affecting the social and health system delivery structures of society. In this paper, we call for interpreting the principle of justice in a more expansive way in developing and reviewing HPSR studies (relative to biomedical research). The principle requires advancing health equity and social justice at population or systems levels. Drawing on the rich justice literature from political philosophy and public health ethics, we propose a set of essential justice considerations to uphold this principle. These considerations are relevant for research funders, researchers, research ethics committees, policymakers, community organisations and others who are active in the HPSR field.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001942

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author


Publisher:
BMJ Publishing Group
Journal:
BMJ Global Health More from this journal
Volume:
5
Issue:
4
Article number:
e001942
Publication date:
2020-04-08
Acceptance date:
2020-02-09
DOI:
EISSN:
2059-7908
ISSN:
2059-7908


Language:
English
Keywords:
Subtype:
Review
Pubs id:
1101538
Local pid:
pubs:1101538
Deposit date:
2021-01-21

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