Physicians are obligated to inform patients involved in a clinical trial that there is a chance of receiving a placebo, which can result in a deterioration of a medical condition.
Research ethics should be included in the medical school curriculum so students and residents can fully understand the ethical implications of medical research.
When medical students are involved in patient care as part of their education and training, patients must be informed of their status and provide written or oral consent to be treated.
Those conducting Western-style clinical trial research in developing countries must consider the manner in which ethical principals are implemented within local standards of care.
Readers are referred to an article in a 1999 issue of JAMA to discuss whether medical professionalism should be explicitly taught in medical schools and residency programs.