Lecture: The ‘Nudgability’ Model for More Ethical Clinical Research

The concept of “nudging,” has been thoroughly discussed and debated in the context of healthcare, and particularly in the public health domain. The use of nudging in the context of healthcare is aimed at influencing people to make healthier choices, while supposedly leaving the actual choice for them. The use of nudging has thus far been less explored in the realm of clinical research.

Miriam Bentwich, 2019-2020 visiting scholar at the Petrie-Flom Center and a tenured senior lecturer of bioethics on the faculty of medicine at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, will introduce an enhanced nudging model specifically oriented to the clinical research context, including (1) exploring and explaining why and how nudging may occur in the clinical research domain and in what respect(s) it may pose an ethical challenge to autonomy; (2) explaining how the ‘nudgability’ model may better address at least some of the illuminated ethical challenges entailed in nudging within the clinical research domain; and (3) explaining why the ‘nudgability’ model may have further positive implications for clinical research ethics, particularly with respect to the application of social justice from a legal perspective (i.e., the “Common Rule” regarding research in human subjects).

This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch.