Authors' objectives: The aim of this review is to provide an overview of international ethics frameworks for policy-making in the context of screening. For the purposes of the present review, a framework will be defined as a resource which details the ethical principles (and or values) considered in policy-making relating to screening programmes (for example, descriptions, considerations, questions or checklists to identify and examine potential ethical issues in relation to screening).

Authors' results and conclusions: This review aimed to identify ethics frameworks used internationally for policymaking in the context of screening. Information was obtained from various sources, including bodies with responsibility for screening policy-making, public health agencies, national ethics bodies, and international agencies. Details regarding the theoretical underpinnings and approaches, values and principles, framework structures, and decision-making processes concerning ethics identified are presented. The outlined information is intended to help develop an ethics framework for assessing population-based screening programmes in Ireland. Based on the findings of this review, a number of important items were identified that should be considered. These included: the justification for the approach underpinning an ethics framework, the use of public health ethics as opposed to those used in traditional clinical decision-making, the rationale for the selection and inclusion of values and principles within a framework, the specification and tailoring of such elements to individual contexts, the handling of conflicts between such elements, the generality versus the specificity of frameworks, and the structuring of decision-making processes to ensure they are publicly defensible and justifiable.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/health-technology-assessment/review-international-ethics-frameworks-used

URL for protocol: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2021-11/Protocol-for-review-of-ethics-processes.pdf

Year Published: 2021

URL for published report: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2021-11/Ethics-frameworks-review-NSAC.pdf

Requestor: The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC)

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Ireland

Organisation Name: Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)

Contact Address: Health Information and Quality Authority, George's Court, George's Lane,Smithfield, Dublin 7. PH : + 353 (01) 814 7464

Contact Name: info@hiqa.ie

Contact Email: info@hiqa.ie