Conducting Research with Highly Portable MRI in Community Settings: A Practical Guide to Navigating Ethical Issues and ELSI Checklist

Francis X Shen; Susan M Wolf; Frances Lawrenz; Donnella S Comeau; Barbara J Evans; Damien Fair; Martha J Farah; Michael Garwood; S Duke Han; Judy Illes; Jonathan D Jackson; Eran Klein; Matthew S Rosen; Efraín Torres; Paul Tuite; J Thomas Vaughan

doi:10.1017/jme.2024.162

Conducting Research with Highly Portable MRI in Community Settings: A Practical Guide to Navigating Ethical Issues and ELSI Checklist

J Law Med Ethics. 2024;52(4):769-785. doi: 10.1017/jme.2024.162. Epub 2025 Jan 31.

Authors

Francis X Shen^{1

2}, Susan M Wolf¹, Frances Lawrenz¹, Donnella S Comeau^{3

4

5}, Barbara J Evans⁶, Damien Fair¹, Martha J Farah⁷, Michael Garwood¹, S Duke Han⁸, Judy Illes⁹, Jonathan D Jackson^{3

10}, Eran Klein^{11

12}, Matthew S Rosen^{3

5}, Efraín Torres¹³, Paul Tuite¹, J Thomas Vaughan¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA.
² MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON, MA, USA.
³ HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, MA, USA.
⁴ BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA.
⁵ MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM, BOSTON, MA, USA.
⁶ UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, GAINESVILLE, FL, USA.
⁷ UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA.
⁸ UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA.
⁹ UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER, BC, Canada.
¹⁰ CRESCENT ADVISING, LLC, BELMONT, MA, USA.
¹¹ OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY, PORTLAND, OR, USA.
¹² UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, WA, USA.
¹³ ADIALANTE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA.
¹⁴ COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, NY, USA.

Abstract

Highly portable and accessible MRI technology will allow researchers to conduct field-based MRI research in community settings. Previous guidance for researchers working with fixed MRI does not address the novel ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI) of portable MRI (pMRI). Our interdisciplinary Working Group (WG) previously identified 15 core ELSI challenges associated with pMRI research and recommended solutions. In this article, we distill those detailed recommendations into a Portable MRI Research ELSI Checklist that offers practical operational guidance for researchers contemplating using this technology.

Keywords: Checklist; Community Engagement; ELSI; Neuroimaging; Portable MRI; Research Ethics.

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research / ethics
Checklist*
Ethics, Research
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / ethics

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding