Chapter 24 Flashcards
What are the three primary goals of research ethics committees (RECs) (institutional review boards) (IRBs)?
1) Protect the “human subjects“ who will participate in observational or experimental studies or whose personal information will be examined by researchers
2) Protect researchers by preventing them from engaging in activities that could cause harm
3) Legally protect the researcher’s institution from the liability that could occur as a result of research activities
What are the major functions of ethics review boards?
1) Review new and revised research protocols
2) Approve or disapprove of those protocols
3) Ensure that informed consent is documented (if required)
4)  Conduct continuing review of long-term research projects
What do IRBs maintain to verify the achievement of their goals?
Careful records of their procedures and membership.
Research ethics committees are usually composed of?
At least five members, from diverse backgrounds, scientists and non-scientists.
Some research ethics committees ask applicants to provide what?
A narrative research statement that addresses a list of possible ethical concerns
A research protocol or narrative statements about a planned project should address each of these points required by the committees:
1) Participants
2) Risks & Benefits
3) Informed consent
4) Privacy and confidentiality
5) Safety monitoring
6) Conflicts of interest
7) Researcher training
8) Documentation
Once all application materials have been submitted to a research ethics committee, there are three possible next steps:
1) Exemption from review: When the research involves the analysis of existing data, documents, or records or stored biological specimens that cannot be linked to individuals. (Public or anonymized)
2) Expedited review: When a minor change to a previously approved protocol is requested or the risk is no greater than in every day life.
3) Full review: When an intervention will be tested in individuals or a community, data will be collected through interaction with individuals, identifiable private information will be collected, or other criteria for expedited review are not met.
Exemption from review is not allowed for which population?
Vulnerable populations
Are routine daily practices/practice-based activities exempt, expedited, or fully reviewed?
Exempt
True or false:
Expedited review may allow the chair of the ethics committee to approve the protocol without a full meeting of the committee
True
True or false:
The full committee does not have to be there in order to give a full review.
False; Full review requires the full committee
At least three issues must be resolved prior to submission of a research proposal to multiple committees:
1) The application documents that will be required
2) The wording of the informed consent statement
3) The order of review (reviewed by all committees at the same time OR “domino” where it is passed from one committee to the next)
All ongoing research protocols must be re-reviewed how often?
Annually OR at the discretion of the ethics review committee until the completion of data collection or analysis.
True or false:
Any desire changes to recruiting materials, informed consent statement, questionnaire, or other study documents must receive approval after it is implemented.
False; they must receive approval before it is implemented.
If an adverse event happens when must it be reported to the IRB?
Immediately