Paying subjects for research participation can be a sticky issue, and it sometimes feels like we rely on gut feelings to decide what’s an appropriate amount of payment, how it should be disbursed, and whether payment unduly influences the decision to participate.
Some human subject research ethics experts took a more scholarly approach. The New England Journal of Medicine published their paper, titled A Framework for Ethical Payment to Research Participants, in a recent edition. The paper discusses three rationales for payment, and some of the considerations related to each. Their findings and suggestions will be of interest to both investigators and IRB reviewers.
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