Phenomenon of a therapeutic misconception: Bioethical aspect

Introduction.The obligatory study of medical drugs during clinical trials conduction can be named as one of the fundamental principles of evidence-based medicine. The article deals with the phenomenon of a therapeutic misconception occurring in volunteers participating in such experiments, who failed to understand the scientific goals of clinical trials and incorrectly expect the therapeutical advantages linked with such a participation. It is analyzed which methodological decisions can cause a therapeutic misconception, and also the main bioethical risks associated with this phenomenon are indicated. Theoretical analysis. It is shown that the procedure of the receipt of informed consent form is the main problematic aspect for an adequate understanding of clinical trials’ goals by its volunteers, and violation of the principle of patient autonomy can be named as a primary bioethical risk. During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a heterogeneity of therapeutic strategies fixed because of the lack of knowledge about the new pathogen. As a result, the inability to adequately assess the risks of the intended treatment both by a patient and a doctor became a new factor that caused the therapeutic misconception. Conclusion. The procedure for obtaining informed consent form is supposed to be revised, the additional analysis of the methodology of clinical trials should be done to reduce the risk of a therapeutic misconception.