ArticleAnnals of global health2019
Not Above the Law: A Legal and Ethical Analysis of Short-Term Experiences in Global Health.
Article in Annals of global health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Virtual global health in graduate medical education: a systematic review.International journal of medical education · 2022Pooled it
- Promoting More Equitable Global Health Research, Education, and Community Partnerships: The Efforts of One US‑Based Academic Institution.Annals of global health · 2025Article
- A scoping review of the ethical impacts of international medical electives on local students and patient care.BMC medical ethics · 2024Article
- An Exploratory Study of Physical Therapists From High-Income Countries Practising Outside of Their Scope in Low and Middle-Income Countries.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2023Article
- Capacity Building in Pediatric Critical Care-Global Health Research and Education: The Blantyre Experience.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2023Article
- Global competency impact of sustained remote international engagement for students.BMC medical education · 2023Article
- A pragmatic approach to equitable global health partnerships in academic health sciences.BMJ global health · 2023Article
- Educational approaches to teach students to address colonialism in global health: a scoping review.BMJ global health · 2023Article
- Opportunities, barriers and expectations toward international voluntary medical missions among health trainees in Saudi Arabia.Sudanese journal of paediatrics · 2023Article
- Impacts, Learner Diversity, and Curricular Framework of a Virtual Global Health Elective Catalyzed by the COVID-19 Pandemic.Annals of global health · 2023Article
- The UTH-UMB Global Health Education Collaboration: Building a Bidirectional Exchange Based on Equity and Reciprocity.Annals of global health · 2023Article
- Integrating multi-national teams: over a decade of lessons learned in Chiapas with Partners in Health-Mexico.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Cultural Sensitivity and Ethical Considerations.Clinics in colon and rectal surgery · 2022Review
- Guidelines for short-term medical missions: perspectives from host countries.Globalization and health · 2022Article
- Global Health Partnerships and the Brocher Declaration: Principles for Ethical Short-Term Engagements in Global Health.Annals of global health · 2022Article
- Implementing electronic health records on a medical service trip improves the patient care process.Frontiers in health services · 2022Article
- Taking Pause: A COVID-19 Student Reflection on Global Health Research Opportunities, Training, and Institutional Reform.Frontiers in sociology · 2022Article
- Reliability of the Service Trip Audit Tool to assess the quality of short-term medical missions.International health · 2021Article
- Ghanaian views of short-term medical missions: The pros, the cons, and the possibilities for improvement.Globalization and health · 2021Article
- Improving Short-Term Medical Engagements with Low-to-Middle-Income Countries.NAM perspectives · 2021Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPersons from high-income countries have multiple opportunities today to participate in "short-term experiences in global health" (STEGHs) in low-resourced countries. STEGHs are organized through religious missions, service learning, medical internships, global health education, and international electives. An issue of increasing concern in STEGHs is "hands-on" participation in clinical procedures by volunteers and students with limited or no medical training. To address these concerns, best practices and ethical standards have been developed. However, not all STEGH organizations adhere to these guidelines, and some actively or tacitly allow unethical and potentially illegal practices.
objectivesThis paper considers the legal framework within which STEGHs operate. It assesses whether certain STEGH practices break laws in the US and/or host countries or violate international "soft" legal norms. Two activities of particular concern are: practicing medicine without a license and drug importation and distribution.
conclusionsMany activities undertaken in STEGHs would be illegal if they took place on US soil. In addition, these same activities are often illegal in the host countries where STEGHs operate, although compliance is unevenly enforced. Many STEGH activities violate World Health Organization guidelines for ethical conduct in humanitarian activities. RECOMMENDATIONS: This paper encourages STEGH organizations to end unethical and potentially illegal activities; urges regulatory and non-regulatory stakeholders to alter policies that motivate participation in illegal or unethical STEGH activities; and encourages host countries to enforce their local and national health laws.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.