In reply: Marley states that consent for peer physical examination “always contains elements of coercion”. It could be argued that this applies equally to medical practice and research, as one can never be 100% sure that participants have not felt some coercion. The ethical imperative is to balance the issues, to gain the best outcome.
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- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW.
Correspondence: sue.outram@newcastle.edu.au
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