Reporting individual results for biomonitoring and environmental exposures: lessons learned from environmental communication case studies.

ABSTRACT: Measurement methods for chemicals in biological and personal environmental samples have expanded rapidly and become a cornerstone of health studies and public health surveillance. These measurements raise questions about whether and how to report individual results to study participants, particularly when health effects and exposure reduction strategies are uncertain. In an era of greater public participation and open disclosure in science, researchers and institutional review boards (IRBs) need new guidance on changing norms and best practices. Drawing on the experiences of researchers, IRBs, and study participants, we discuss ethical frameworks, effective methods, and outcomes in studies that have reported personal results for a wide range of environmental chemicals. Belmont Report princ

SUBMITTER: Brody JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4098947 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature