In 1964, the World Medical Association (WMA) adopted the Declaration of Helsinki, which provides ethical guidance for physicians engaging in medical research on human subjects. The Declaration of Helsinki determined the following:
- Consent should be in writing
- Research should build on previous work
- Research must follow written protocol
- Research must be reviewed by an independent committee
- Caution must be exercised if subject is in dependent relationship with researcher
- Subjects must receive best proven diagnostic and therapeutic methods
For further historical analysis and a list of references, visit the
World Medical Association