20. What Students Need to Know About Public Health Ethics

About this lesson

Ethics in Public Health Research | Module 2.6: Ethical Issues in Public Health Research Welcome to Module 2.6 of the Research Ethics Foundations series! In this session, we explore the unique ethical dimensions of public health research, where the focus shifts from individual patients to populations and communities. This module highlights the ethical tensions, responsibilities, and approaches required to ensure that public health research is both effective and ethically sound.

What You’ll Learn in This Module

• Key differences between public health ethics and clinical ethics
• Ethical principles in community-based research
• Privacy, data sharing, and surveillance in public health
• Balancing the common good with individual rights
• Strategies for respectful and sustainable community engagement

Core Topics Covered

Public Health Ethics vs. Clinical Ethics

• Population vs. individual focus
• Prevention over treatment
• Policy-driven research impacts
• Community engagement and autonomy

Community-Based Research Ethics

• Collaborative research design
• Cultural sensitivity and benefit sharing
• Building sustainable partnerships

Public Health Data Ethics

• Secondary data use and consent
• Privacy in big data and re-identification risks
• Ethical surveillance and responsible reporting

Who Should Watch This Video

• Public health students and professionals
• Epidemiologists and data scientists
• Community health researchers
• Ethics committee and IRB members
• Researchers working in global health and population studies

Lesson notes

Full written notes for this lesson are in production. Until they publish, watch the video above and use the summary on this page as your study guide.