Nirali Desai

BPA summer reflective assignment

Miss Evers Boys
As a former clinical trials coordinator and public health professional, ethical constructs,
such as informed consent, risk/benefit disclosure, and patient protection are key priorities
in any study. Studies without these requirements will ultimately fail and produce doubts
in the general public about the accuracy of these studies.
I have prior knowledge about the Tuskegee study, however was unaware of the finer
details. When the study was initially being discussed, I was struck by the similarities
between the Tuskegee study and Nazi experiments. The lack of consent, treatment, or
public health benefit was evident and obviously racially motivated. Miss Evers deceptive
tactics shocked meusing the term bad blood instead of syphilis and mentioning the
governments free healthcare plan with no risks outlined. I quickly resolved her behavior,
because her desire to provide care in the community outweighed her need to be
completely transparent. The federal funding situation that dictated the outcome of the
study also disturbed me. Understanding that funding or billing constraints sometimes
dictates us, as healthcare professionals, is a difficult concept and hopefully, a hurdle that
we will not often cross.
Positive points of the movie include Miss Evers ability to translate the disease and its
systemic effects in a relatable way for the population. Previously working in a lowincome hospital, I too had to learn how to relay complicated health-related information to
participants. Oftentimes, it was difficult to elicit a positive behavior change, unless
information was provided in a relatable way. This demonstrates that plain language skills
are a necessity for PAs in the workplace. Also, from the negative outcomes of the study, a
need for mandated human subject testing rules and ethics were created to prevent any
future public health disasters.
The Tuskegee study should impact all students in their PA journey. The need to maintain
ethical boundaries are key and the health and safety of patients must be the first priority.
Disease transcends everything and all individuals, regardless of race, income, or location,
deserve top quality care. The Tuskegee study is a prime example of a study that damaged
public conception of the healthcare and the government among a high-risk population.
Overall, the movie highlighted the governments gross neglect of a population group. The
ethical implications and outcome of the study changed the face of clinical research and
medicine. As a future PA, I am saddened by our public health history, but proud to be a
part of a profession that prioritizes patient safety and incite positive change in patients.