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Advance planning for research is a process that involves thinking about, discussing and expressing preferences for taking part in research during future periods of incapacity. The process may include making an advance research directive and naming trusted people to be involved in decisions about research participation. Advance research planning could help to overcome barriers to including people with dementia in research. To encourage innovation in this area, this article presents recommendations informed by a stakeholder workshop that brought together consumer representatives and representatives active in dementia, ageing and health-related research, policy-making, advocacy and service delivery in health and aged care.An online workshop where 15 stakeholders shared perspectives and suggestions for implementing advance research planning, with a focus on research involving people with dementia.Raising awareness of advance research planning requires multi-faceted strategies. Training and resources are needed for researchers, ethics committees and organisations regarding this form of advance planning and the use of research directives. Like any form of advance planning, planning ahead for research must be a voluntary, informed and person-centred process. There is a lack of uniform legal rules on research involving people who lack the capacity to consent; however, advance research directives could, in principle, inform decisions about research participation.As a matter of law, policy and practice, people are encouraged to plan ahead in many areas of their life. Research planning has been relatively neglected, and the recommendations offered here aim to encourage innovation in research and implementation in this area.

Introduction High quality research involving Indigenous people with cognitive impairment and dementia is critical for informing evidence-based policy and practice. We examined the volume, scope and ethical considerations of research related to dementia with Indigenous populations globally from January 2000–December 2021. Methods Studies were included if they were published in English from 2000 to 2021 and provided original data that focused on cognitive impairment or dementia in any Indigenous population. Results The search yielded 13,009 papers of which, 76 met inclusion criteria. The overall number of papers increased over time. Studies were mostly conducted in Australia with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (n = 30; 39%). Twenty-six papers directly involved Indigenous participants with cognitive impairment or dementia. Of these studies, ethics approval was commonly required from two or more committees (n = 23, 88.5%). Ethical and legal governance frameworks were rarely discussed. Discussion There is a clear need for further robust studies examining cognitive impairment and dementia with Indigenous populations. Future research should consider the ethical aspects of involving Indigenous participants with cognitive impairment in research.

“Preventable infections are out of control in Canadian hospi-tals,” declared an April 2005 headline in the British Medical Journal. Hospitals face less stringent infection-control monitoring than do restaurants, warned a CBC news investiga-tion. Recent events in Canada have indeed highlighted concern with infectious disease exposure through the healthcare system: the SARS outbreak led to criticism of lax hospital infection-control practices; various Canadian hospitals discovered that improper sterilization of equipment may have exposed patients to HIV, hepatitis and other diseases; virulent C. difficile infec-tions claimed patient lives; and a Montreal children’s hospital faced public concern in spring 2004 following disclosure that one of its former surgeons had died from AIDS. In an era of growing concern with patient safety in the healthcare system, these events raise important legal issues regarding liability, disclosure of information to patients and reporting to regulatory bodies, government agencies and others that have a paramount duty to protect the public from harm. In this article, we review several key legal issues related to patient safety. Using the example of nosocomial infection, we begin by summarizing recent lawsuits that have stemmed from alleged lapses in infection-control practices. We then identify legal duties that healthcare providers and facilities owe to patients to ensure their safety. Next, we discuss disclosure quandaries that may arise in the patient safety context. If a patient has been harmed, or exposed to risk of harm, do providers have a duty to disclose that information to the patient? What about the situation of remote or theoretical risks? When errors have occurred, or where some risk of harm exists, what information must be disclosed to regulatory authorities such as professional colleges or government agencies? We describe several new legal requirements that mandate disclosure of errors and conclude by offering some thoughts on the role of law in promoting patient safety. Readers are advised that this article does not constitute legal advice and are urged to consult with legal counsel regarding specific questions or concerns.

In Australia and internationally, advance care planning (ACP) is emphasised as an important means by which individuals can express their wishes for health care during future periods of incapacity. ACP has mainly been promoted in health care settings and very little is said about the role of lawyers, despite the fact that some people are more likely to discuss their health care wishes with a lawyer than with a doctor. This article addresses this significant gap and advocates for collaboration between legal and health professionals to assist clients with advance care and end-of-life planning. It articulates the importance of law and lawyers in ACP and discusses the medical-legal partnership model as a means to increase inter-professional collaboration. It analyses how collaboration can tackle client, practitioner and system-centred barriers and recognise ACP as a preventive legal and health care practice that supports clients’ interests and promotes their autonomy.