The Ethics of Translational Audiology

Abstract

Translational research moves promising primary research results from the laboratory to practical application. The transition from basic science to clinical research and from clinical research to routine healthcare applications presents many challenges, including ethical. This paper addresses issues in the ethics of translational audiology and discusses the ethical principles that should guide research involving people with hearing loss. Four major ethical principles are defined and explained, which are as follows: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. In addition, the authors discuss issues of discrimination and equal access to medical services among people with hearing loss. Despite audiology’s broad field of interest, which includes evaluation and treatment of auditory disorders (e.g., deafness, tinnitus, misophonia, or hyperacusis) and balance disorders, this study focuses primarily on deafness and its therapies.

Descripción del Perfil Lector de una Revista Científica de Audiología para profesionales del área audiológica Hispanohablantes

“…Esto puede tener relación con la sensación de inseguridad que se plantea, dentro del campo de los profesionales audiólogos, a la hora de publicar. Este punto podría ser abordado a través del desarrollo de cursos/workshops (ejemplo post titulación) en donde se aporten conocimientos más enfocados a las ciencias audiológicas fomentando de esta manera una cooperación entre los clínicos y científicos (medicina traslacional) (Bendowska et al, 2022;Le Prell & Lobarinas, 2016).…”

Translational Research in Audiology

“…However, regardless of the effectiveness of the treatment, implantation should not be applied when people are unwilling to be treated or in minors if their guardians do not consent. This issue and related reasons are further discussed by Bendowska et al in the article "The Ethics of Translational Audiology" which raises awareness about treating the deaf community with dignity and respecting their wishes, which are sometimes at odds with those of hearing people [6].…”