Declaration of Helsinki revised to modernize research ethics standards; American Medical Association (AMA), November 6, 2024

American Medical Association (AMA); Declaration of Helsinki revised to modernize research ethics standards

"The World Medical Association (WMA) has updated its cornerstone ethical principles for medical research to modernize protections and reinforce respect for the rights and interests of human participants, while including new language on global justice, public health, vulnerability and consent for personal data collection and reuse.

For 60 years, these principles—dubbed the Declaration of Helsinki for the city in Finland where WMA members assembled to formally adopt them—have guided ethical conduct for medical research involving human participants on a global scale. 

The WMA General Assembly, whose constituent members represent more than 10 million physicians, recently met to adopt additional revisions crafted by an AMA-led work group from 19 countries. Through eight regional and topical meetings on many continents and two global public-comment periods, the work group gathered feedback from other experts and stakeholders including researchers, patients, bioethicists, regulators, medical leaders and others.

The AMA delegation to the World Medical Association plays a major role in proposing and authoring global policy issues including medical ethics, access to high-quality medical care, the physician workforce, public health, medical education, and advocacy for physicians’ and patients’ rights. As the predominant U.S. medical association, the AMA is the only national medical association eligible for membership in the World Medical Association, which was founded in 1947 in the wake [sic, of] involvement by physicians in medical atrocities during World War II.

The landmark amendments to the Declaration of Helsinki highlight the commitment “to reinforcing the ethical principles that guide medical research involving human participants, to safeguard patient rights and to ensure the integrity of scientific studies,” said WMA President Ashok Philip, MD, in a statement."