Fix It A Group of Doctors with the American Cancer Association Are

Essay

Fix It
A group of doctors with the American Cancer Association are interested in conducting a study to better understand the effects of nicotine on brain functioning. They contact family physicians and ask them to provide the medical records of patients who are actively trying to quit smoking, who are otherwise healthy, and who have recently had a PET scan for various reasons. The physicians send the ACA doctors 78 patient records. The ACA doctors examine the PET data from each patient and find that cerebral blood flow is altered in a number of brain regions, including the hippocampus and cerebellum. The ACA doctors conclude that one of the risks associated with smoking is an alteration in cerebral flood flow.
What ethical and methodological issues exist with this study? Fix it.