Informed consent to participation in research is an important protector of potential subjects'
rights and autonomy. Ethical research involving critically ill people is challenging because
their medical condition often makes obtaining informed consent impossible. This is
especially true in the prehospital setting, where additional barriers to obtaining informed
consent exist. A recently published Canadian policy (Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical
Conduct for Research Involving Humans) specifies circumstances under which an exception …