Ruling on research endangers patients, doctors say

When a veteran John Hopkins safety researcher assembled a checklist of proven safety procedures and required critical care doctors to use it, the results prevented infections and saved lives. The checklist, however, drew critical scrutiny from government regulators. The federal Office of Human Research Protections said using a safety checklist--and studying its effects--amounted to conducting an experiment without a patient's consent. Researchers say the dispute could delay similar safety initiatives nationwide.