Reference no: EM133384255
Case: Located on Staten Island in New York City, Willowbrook State School was an institution for children with intellectual disabilities from 1947 to 1987. About 90% of Willowbrook's residents developed hepatitis soon after their arrival at the school. Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver. Symptoms include nausea, fatigue, fever, and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin). At the time, it was known that hepatitis was caused by a virus, but the mechanisms by which it is spread and how it could be prevented were still unknown. In an effort to control the outbreaks, a series of studies was conducted on the residents of Willowbrook.
Please review this website for further information regarding the hepatitis studies. Dr. Saul Krugman, who directed the hepatitis studies, wrote an article in 1986 defending the studies and the manner in which they were conducted. Please review the article (article on Blackboard). After reviewing both resources, answer the following with your group:
1. Briefly summarize how the studies were conducted
2. Which of the basic ethical principles - respect for persons, beneficence, or justice - were violated? Select all that apply and provide examples
3. Discuss Dr. Krugman's rationale for conducting the study. Does the end - greater knowledge about hepatitis - justify the means by which this study was conducted?
4. What changes to the study, if any, would you propose to meet the ethical guidelines outlined in the Belmont Report?