Thesis work
Thesis title: The allure of biomedical innovation: what influences drive, and shape, doctors' use of innovative treatments?
Supervisors: Ian Kerridge, Wendy Lipworth
Thesis abstract:
Since the early 20th century, there has been remarkable technological progress in medicine. Biomedical innovations – including new medical and surgical procedures, equipment, devices and processes, as well as pharmacological agents, have transformed medical practice.
Although the term “innovation” is widely used in medicine, and fostering innovation is considered by many to be essential for the continuation of medical and technological advancement, there is a distinct lack of consensus regarding how to define biomedical innovation, and how to best assess the value of novel drugs, devices and procedures. This is problematic, as there is significant variation in the clinical benefits conferred by various innovative medical treatments, and many of these treatments are significantly more expensive than traditional therapeutics. Doctors’ use of innovative treatments, therefore, warrants ethical consideration.
It is now recognised in practice and in law that doctors’ behaviours are shaped by a wide range of non-financial and financial interests—an interest in patient care, being the most obvious. To date, however, there has been little systematic research into the interests that drive, and shape, doctors’ use of innovative treatments in clinical practice. Furthermore, the limited evidence available is often constrained to one specific medical setting – for example, the drivers of doctors’ use of innovative medicines in end of life cancer care.
In order to address this evidence gap, this empirical bioethics project will explore the non-financial and financial influences driving doctors’ use of innovative treatments. The project will be based around four case studies, including innovation in surgery, stem cell treatment, assisted reproductive technology and cancer care. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders (including doctors, regulators and policymakers), critically appraised and integrated with ethical theory, in order to inform the development of clinical practice guidelines and health policy regulations to encourage “responsible” clinical innovation in Australia.
Publications
Book Chapters
- Lipworth, W., Wiersma, M., Ghinea, N., Hendly, T., Kerridge, I., Lysaght, T., Munsie, M., Rudge, C., Stewart, C., Waldby, C. (2021). The Oversight of Clinical Innovation in a Medical Marketplace. In Graeme Laurie, Edward Dove, Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra, Catriona McMillan et al (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Health Research Regulation, (pp. 287-295). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
- Pace, J., Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Morrell, B., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2019). Clinical Quandaries Associated With Accelerated Access to Medicines. In Kathleen Montgomery, Wendy Lipworth (Eds.), Medical Professionals: Conflicts and Quandaries in Medical Practice, (pp. 48-66). New York: Routledge. [More Information]
Journals
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2024). Perspectives on non-financial conflicts of interest in health-related journals: A scoping review. Accountability in Research. [More Information]
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2023). Clinical innovation ethics frameworks: A systematic narrative review. Health Policy, 129. [More Information]
- Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Newson, A., Walby, C., Norman, R., Lipworth, W. (2022). Situating commercialization of assisted reproduction in its socio-political context: A critical interpretive synthesis. Human Reproduction Open, 2022 (4). [More Information]
2024
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2024). Perspectives on non-financial conflicts of interest in health-related journals: A scoping review. Accountability in Research. [More Information]
2023
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2023). Clinical innovation ethics frameworks: A systematic narrative review. Health Policy, 129. [More Information]
2022
- Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Newson, A., Walby, C., Norman, R., Lipworth, W. (2022). Situating commercialization of assisted reproduction in its socio-political context: A critical interpretive synthesis. Human Reproduction Open, 2022 (4). [More Information]
2021
- Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2021). Are my religious beliefs anyone's business? A framework for declarations in health and biomedicine. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47(12), 803-806. [More Information]
- Hermes, A., Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Easteal, S., Light, E., Dive, L., Lipworth, W. (2021). Beyond platitudes: a qualitative study of Australian Aboriginal people's perspectives on biobanking. Internal Medicine Journal, 51(9), 1426-1432. [More Information]
- Light, E., Wiersma, M., Dive, L., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W., Stewart, C., Kowal, E., Marlton, P., Critchley, C. (2021). Biobank networking and globalisation: perspectives and practices of Australian biobanks. Australian Health Review, 45(2), 214-222. [More Information]
2020
- Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Olver, I., Pearson, S., Day, R., Liauw, W., Lipworth, W. (2020). "Some sort of fantasy land": A qualitative investigation of appropriate prescribing in cancer care. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 26(3), 747-754. [More Information]
- Critchley, C., Wiersma, M., Lipworth, W., Light, E., Dive, L., Kerridge, I. (2020). Examining diversity in public willingness to participate in offshore human biobanking: An Australian mixed methods study. Public Understanding of Science, 29(7), 757-769. [More Information]
- Dive, L., Critchley, C., Otlowski, M., Mason, P., Wiersma, M., Light, E., Stewart, C., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2020). Public trust and global biobank networks. BMC Medical Ethics, 21(1), 1-9. [More Information]
2019
- Pace, J., Ghinea, N., Wiersma, M., Morrell, B., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2019). Clinical Quandaries Associated With Accelerated Access to Medicines. In Kathleen Montgomery, Wendy Lipworth (Eds.), Medical Professionals: Conflicts and Quandaries in Medical Practice, (pp. 48-66). New York: Routledge. [More Information]
- Light, E., Wiersma, M., Dive, L., Kerridge, I., Critchley, C., Lipworth, W. (2019). Disruption, Diversity, and Global Biobanking. The American Journal of Bioethics, 19(5), 45-47. [More Information]
- Wiersma, M., Ghinea, N., Lipworth, W. (2019). Limiting religious contributions - a response to Schuklenk. Developing World Bioethics, 19(3), 126-127. [More Information]
2018
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W. (2018). Dangers of neglecting non-financial conflicts of interest in health and medicine. Journal of Medical Ethics, 44(5), 319-322. [More Information]
- Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W., Rodwin, M. (2018). Should we try to manage non-financial interests? BMJ, 361, 1-3. [More Information]