Can J Emerg Med
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Informed consent to participation in research is an important protector of potential subjects' rights and autonomy. Ethical research involving critically ill people is challenging because their medical condition often makes obtaining informed consent impossible. ⋯ This article reviews the rationale for the Tri-Council Policy Statement and illustrates some problems with its application in the context of a Canadian prehospital study on continuous positive airway pressure. A new risk analysis model and a national research ethics board are discussed as possible ways to facilitate interpretation and application of the current exception of informed consent policy.
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To determine the perceptions of health care professionals and service providers with regard to emergency department (ED) overcrowding, including definitions of overcrowding, characteristics of an overcrowded ED, and causes of overcrowding, and secondarily to solicit potential solutions to the problem. ⋯ Qualitative studies of this complex issue can identify and describe complex interactions in real-world settings. The findings of such studies can lead to quantitative studies involving objective measurement.