44 results on '"research oversight"'
Search Results
2. Independent Review, Data Safety Monitoring, and Research Oversight
- Author
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Schonfeld, Toby L., Iltis, Ana S., book editor, and MacKay, Douglas, book editor
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- 2024
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3. Strengthening research ethics oversight in Africa: The Kenyan example
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L Omutoko, B Amugune, T Nyawira, I Inwani, C Muchoki, M Masika, G Omosa-Manyonyi, C Kamau, L K'Apiyo, and W Jaoko
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research ethics ,capacity building ,research oversight ,clinical trials ,training ,mentorship ,africa ,Medical legislation ,K3601-3611 ,Medicine ,Medical philosophy. Medical ethics ,R723-726 - Abstract
Background. Africa has seen an increase in the number of health research projects being conducted on the continent, particularly clinical trials. Ideally, this should be accompanied by a commensurate improvement in research ethics review capacity to competently provide the much-required research ethics oversight. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many African countries, which are still grappling with weak research ethics oversight capacity, not only at national level but also at institutional level. Objectives. To describe the proposal by Kenya’s national research ethics regulatory authority, the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), to build the capacity of its National Scientific and Ethics Committee (NSEC), tasked with providing the required research ethics oversight in the country. Methods. This is the proposal submitted by NACOSTI to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership for funding of a project entitled ‘Strengthening Research Ethics and Oversight in Kenya’ (STReK). It describes the activities involved to strengthen the NSEC to provide the required research ethics in the country, and to build the research ethics capacity of research ethics committees (RECs) it has accredited, through training and mentorship programmes, to enable them to efficiently review research proposals. Results. Proposed activities of the project are presented. Implementation of the activities described is ongoing. Conclusion. Lessons learnt in this regard may be of benefit to other research ethics regulatory authorities in resource-constrained countries aiming to strengthen their research ethics oversight capacity.
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- 2023
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4. Clinical Trials, Ethics, and Human Protections Policies
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Kimmelman, Jonathan, Goodman, Steven N., Section editor, Robinson, Karen A, Section editor, Meinert, Curtis L., Section editor, Piantadosi, Steven, Section editor, Piantadosi, Steven, editor, and Meinert, Curtis L., editor
- Published
- 2022
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5. Organoids: a systematic review of ethical issues
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Dide de Jongh, Emma K. Massey, the VANGUARD consortium, and Eline M. Bunnik
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Organoids ,Ethics ,Research oversight ,Informed consent ,Personalized medicine ,Transplantation ,Medicine (General) ,R5-920 ,Biochemistry ,QD415-436 - Abstract
Abstract Organoids are 3D structures grown from pluripotent stem cells derived from human tissue and serve as in vitro miniature models of human organs. Organoids are expected to revolutionize biomedical research and clinical care. However, organoids are not seen as morally neutral. For instance, tissue donors may perceive enduring personal connections with their organoids, setting higher bars for informed consent and patient participation. Also, several organoid sub-types, e.g., brain organoids and human–animal chimeric organoids, have raised controversy. This systematic review provides an overview of ethical discussions as conducted in the scientific literature on organoids. The review covers both research and clinical applications of organoid technology and discusses the topics informed consent, commercialization, personalized medicine, transplantation, brain organoids, chimeras, and gastruloids. It shows that further ethical research is needed especially on organoid transplantation, to help ensure the responsible development and clinical implementation of this technology in this field.
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- 2022
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6. Mission Creep or Mission Lapse? Scientific Review in Research Oversight.
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Waltz, Margaret, Fisher, Jill A., and Walker, Rebecca L.
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SOCIAL values , *LABORATORY animals , *HUMAN-animal relationships , *LEGISLATIVE oversight , *TRUST - Abstract
The ethical use both of human and non-human animals in research is predicated on the assumption that it is of a high quality and its projected benefits are more significant than the risks and harms imposed on subjects. Yet questions remain about whether and how IRBs and IACUCs should consider the scientific value of proposed research studies. We draw upon 45 interviews with IRB and IACUC members and researchers with oversight experience about their perceptions of their own roles in reviewing the quality and value of scientific protocols. Interview transcripts were memoed to highlight specific findings, which were then used to identify key themes through an iterative process. IRB and IACUC members expressed broad trust in the need for and value of research, and they often assumed that protocols had social value or that prior review, especially when associated with funding, affirmed both the rigor and merit of those protocols. Some oversight members also took an explicit stance against scientific review by stating that such review is not within the regulatory mandates governing their parts in the oversight system. Yet other interviewees expressed uneasiness about the current paradigm for evaluating the quality and overall value of science, suggesting that IRB and IACUC members perceive gaps in the oversight systems. These findings reveal many similarities in how IRB and IACUC members understand the roles and limitations of their respective oversight committees. We conclude with a discussion of how the lack of a clear mandate regarding scientific review within US federal regulations may undermine ethical engagement of whether human and animal research is scientifically justified, resulting in a "mission lapse" wherein no organizational body is clearly responsible for ensuring that the research being conducted has the potential to advance science and benefit society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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7. Moral Status and the Oversight of Research Involving Chimeric Animals.
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Marshall, Patricia, Craig, Kaitlynn P., and Hyun, Insoo
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CHIMERISM , *ETHICS , *HUMANISM , *MEDICAL protocols , *ANIMAL rights , *STEM cell research , *ANIMALS , *MEDICAL research , *BIOETHICS , *CONSCIOUSNESS - Abstract
The use of nonhuman animals in research has long been a source of bioethical and scientific debate. We consider the oversight and use of nonhuman animals in chimeric research. We conducted interviews with twelve members of embryonic stem cell research oversight committees, nine members of institutional animal care and use committees, and fourteen scientists involved in human–nonhuman‐animal chimeric research in different areas of the United States. Interviews addressed animal welfare and conceptual issues associated with moral status and humanization of nonhuman animals that contain human cells. Our findings suggest that concepts of enhanced moral status and consciousness are not very useful in human–nonhuman‐animal chimeric research in part because their meanings are not easily defined, which presents challenges to applying the concepts in research. Instead, scientists and oversight committee members we interviewed seemed to rely on standard assessments of changes in animal welfare when focusing on the ethics of human‐animal chimeric research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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8. Organoids: a systematic review of ethical issues.
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de Jongh, Dide, Massey, Emma K., the VANGUARD consortium, Berishvili, Ekaterine, Fonseca, Laura Mar, Lebreton, Fanny, Bellofatto, Kevin, Bignard, Juliette, Seissler, Jochen, Buerck, Leila Wolf-van, Honarpisheh, Mohsen, Zhang, Yichen, Lei, Yutian, Pehl, Monika, Follenzi, Antonia, Olgasi, Christina, Cucci, Alessia, Borsotti, Chiara, Assanelli, Simone, and Piemonti, Lorenzo
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ORGANOIDS , *PLURIPOTENT stem cells , *ORGANS (Anatomy) , *INFORMED consent (Medical law) , *PATIENT participation , *TECHNOLOGY assessment - Abstract
Organoids are 3D structures grown from pluripotent stem cells derived from human tissue and serve as in vitro miniature models of human organs. Organoids are expected to revolutionize biomedical research and clinical care. However, organoids are not seen as morally neutral. For instance, tissue donors may perceive enduring personal connections with their organoids, setting higher bars for informed consent and patient participation. Also, several organoid sub-types, e.g., brain organoids and human–animal chimeric organoids, have raised controversy. This systematic review provides an overview of ethical discussions as conducted in the scientific literature on organoids. The review covers both research and clinical applications of organoid technology and discusses the topics informed consent, commercialization, personalized medicine, transplantation, brain organoids, chimeras, and gastruloids. It shows that further ethical research is needed especially on organoid transplantation, to help ensure the responsible development and clinical implementation of this technology in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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9. An Argument for Reinterpreting the Benign Behavioral Intervention Exemption.
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Tully, Ian
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RESEARCH ethics , *OPERANT behavior , *HUMAN research subjects , *HUMAN experimentation - Abstract
Recent changes to the Common Rule have helped reduce regulatory burden on researchers conducting minimal risk research. However, in this paper, I propose a way of minimizing burden further within the existing confines of the current regulations. I focus my discussion on the newly created "benign behavioral interventions" category of exempt research, arguing that this exemption from the federal regulations governing research with human subjects should be more expansively interpreted by the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) than is currently the case. Specifically, I argue against the restriction, advocated by SACHRP, that the exemption exclude "physical (bodily) tasks" unless they are "incidental to the behavioral intervention." This restriction, I argue, is problematically vague and does no significant moral work. Acceptance of my proposed reinterpretation of "benign behavioral interventions" would, I hope, result in a significant reduction in regulatory burden for minimal risk research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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10. Of Straws, Camels, Research Regulation, and IRBs.
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Friesen, Phoebe, Redman, Barbara, and Caplan, Arthur
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CLINICAL trials ,CONFLICT of interests ,MEDICAL technology ,MEDICAL research ,RESEARCH ethics ,RESPONSIBILITY ,INSTITUTIONAL review boards ,GOVERNMENT regulation ,OCCUPATIONAL roles - Abstract
Institutional review boards (IRBs) have become beleaguered by a growth in responsibilities related to research oversight in the past several decades. A number of regulatory bodies have appeared in response to these novel and complex responsibilities, seeking to respond to among other issues, conflicts of interest, new technologies, and the potential misuse of research findings. Here, we examine several examples of these novel regulatory bodies as well as a number of concerns related to them that have been largely unacknowledged. Evidence suggests that there can be disharmony and conflicts between these regulatory bodies and IRBs, a lack of clarity with regard to their roles and responsibilities, as well as shortcomings within these entities that, at times, look a lot like the worries that have long been raised in relation to IRBs. We offer a brief discussion of how some of these concerns might be ameliorated, either through a significant restructuring of the system of research oversight, or perhaps through smaller changes to these regulatory bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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11. Advancing Ethics and Policy for Healthy-Volunteer Research through a Model-Organism Framework.
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FISHER, JILL A. and WALKER, REBECCA L.
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CLINICAL trials , *INVESTIGATIONAL drugs , *DRUG use testing , *ANIMAL welfare ,ANIMAL research - Abstract
Nonhuman animal research and phase I healthy-volunteer clinical trials are both critical components of testing the safety of investigational drugs as part of the development of new pharmaceuticals. In addition, these types of research share important structural features, as both take place in confinement and both use subjects that are dissimilar to the target population. By mobilizing a model-organism framework for phase I trials, we employ concepts and mechanisms typical to animal research to query gaps in the human subjects ethics and policy framework. By bringing these two research worlds together, we aim to illustrate how the model-organism framework can enhance healthy volunteers' welfare during trials, improve research oversight, and more critically assess the science value of current phase I trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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12. Global Efforts to Protect Healthy Volunteers.
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Fisher, Jill A.
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SAFETY , *HUMAN research subjects , *CLINICAL trials , *INFORMED consent (Medical law) , *RESEARCH ethics , *BIOETHICS , *MEDICAL research - Abstract
Clinical trials on healthy volunteers generate unique ethical challenges both because participants accept potential physical risks without the possibility of direct medical benefit and because participants' financial motivations to enroll in trials could lead to their exploitation. Despite the large volume of published empirical studies and ethical analyses of healthy volunteer research, there has been little concerted effort to change how healthy‐volunteer research is overseen or regulated. A new collaborative effort to do so is the VolREthics (Volunteers in Research and Ethics) Initiative. Launched in 2022, this initiative brings together an international community to engage questions about how healthy volunteers could best be protected from the risks of harm and exploitation while the validity of clinical trials is optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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13. Ethics and regulatory complexities posed by a pragmatic clinical trial: a case study from Lilongwe, Malawi
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Mtande, Tiwonge Kumwenda, Nair, Gonasagrie, and Rennie, Stuart
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real world data ,pragmatic clinical trials ,research oversight ,research participants ,guidelines ,research ethics committee ,PRECIS-2 tool ,HIV ,antiretroviral treatment ,Malawi ,Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic ,Organizational Case Studies ,Humans ,General Medicine ,Delivery of Health Care - Abstract
Background Pragmatic clinical trials generally rely on real world data and have the potential to generate real world evidence. This approach arose from concerns that many trial results did not adequately inform real world practice. However, maintaining the real world setting during the conduct of a trial and ensuring adequate protection for research participants can be challenging. Best practices in research oversight for pragmatic clinical trials are nascent and underdeveloped, especially in developing countries. Methods We use the PRECIS-2 tool to present a case study from Lilongwe in Malawi to describe ethical and regulatory challenges encountered during the conduct of a pragmatic trial and suggest possible solutions. Results In this article, we highlight the following six issues: (1) one public facility hosting several pragmatic trials within the same period; (2) research participants refusing financial incentives; (3) inadequate infrastructure and high workload to conduct research; (4) silos among partner organisations involved in delivery of health care; (5) individuals influencing the implementation of revised national guidelines; (6) difficulties with access to electronic medical records. Conclusion Multiple stakeholder engagement is critical to the conduct of pragmatic trials, and even with careful stakeholder engagement, continuous monitoring by gatekeepers is essential. In the Malawian context, active engagement of the district research committees can complement the work of the research ethics committees (RECs).
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- 2022
14. Barred from better medicine? Reexamining regulatory barriers to the inclusion of prisoners in research.
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Huang, Elaine, Cauley, Jacqueline, and Wagner, Jennifer K.
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MEDICAL care of prisoners ,MEDICINE ,CRIMINAL justice system - Abstract
In 2015, President Obama announced plans for the Precision Medicine Initiative R (PMI), an ambitious longitudinal project aimed at revolutionizing medicine. Integral to this Initiative is the recruitment of over one million Americans into a volunteer research cohort, the All of UsSM Research Program. The announcement has generated much excitement but absent is a discussion of how the All of Us Research Program--to be implemented within the context of social realities of mass incarcerations and racial disparities in criminal justice and healthcare--might excaberate health disparities. We examine how attainment of Initiative's stated goals of reflecting the diversity of the American population and including all who are interested in participating might be impeded by regulatory and administrative barriers to the involvement of participantswho become incarcerated during longitudinal studies. Changes have been proposed to the federal policy for human subjects research protections, but current regulations and administrative policies--developed under a protectionist paradigm in response to scandalous research practices with confined populations--dramatically limit research involving prisoners. Our review provides rationale for the development of Initiative policies that anticipate recruitment and retention obstacles that might frustrate inclusivity and exacerbate health disparities. Furthermore, we question the effective ban on biomedical and behavioral research involving prisoners and advocate for regulatory reforms that restore participatory research rights of prisoners. Disparities in health and justice are intertwined and without regulatory reforms to facilitate participatory research rights of prisoners and careful planning of viable and responsible recruitment, engagement and retention strategies, Initiative could miss discovery opportunities, exacerbate health disparities and increase levels of distrust in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2017
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15. The concept of 'vulnerability' in research ethics: an in-depth analysis of policies and guidelines.
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Bracken-Roche, Dearbhail, Bell, Emily, Macdonald, Mary Ellen, and Racine, Eric
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GALLBLADDER cancer , *TUMORS , *CELL lines , *CELL culture , *METASTASIS , *PROGNOSIS , *FLOW cytometry , *AUTONOMY (Psychology) , *CLINICAL trials , *INFORMED consent (Medical law) , *INTERNATIONAL relations , *HEALTH policy , *MEDICAL protocols , *MEDICAL research , *RESEARCH ethics , *AT-risk people - Abstract
Background: The concept of vulnerability has held a central place in research ethics guidance since its introduction in the United States Belmont Report in 1979. It signals mindfulness for researchers and research ethics boards to the possibility that some participants may be at higher risk of harm or wrong. Despite its important intended purpose and widespread use, there is considerable disagreement in the scholarly literature about the meaning and delineation of vulnerability, stemming from a perceived lack of guidance within research ethics standards. The aim of this study was to assess the concept of vulnerability as it is employed in major national and international research ethics policies and guidelines.Methods: We conducted an in-depth analysis of 11 (five national and six international) research ethics policies and guidelines, exploring their discussions of the definition, application, normative justification and implications of vulnerability.Results: Few policies and guidelines explicitly defined vulnerability, instead relying on implicit assumptions and the delineation of vulnerable groups and sources of vulnerability. On the whole, we found considerable richness in the content on vulnerability across policies, but note that this relies heavily on the structure imposed on the data through our analysis.Conclusions: Our results underscore a need for policymakers to revisit the guidance on vulnerability in research ethics, and we propose that a process of stakeholder engagement would well-support this effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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16. An Uncommonly Good Foundation for Research Ethics.
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King, Nancy M. P.
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RESEARCH ethics , *MEDICAL research personnel , *REGULATORY compliance , *HUMAN experimentation , *COMMON good - Abstract
Should research ethics scholars, clinical investigators, and human research professionals read a thick book by a moral philosopher on the foundations of research ethics? Absolutely. Why? Because everyone who has tried to figure out how research ethics and regulatory compliance fit together, or tried to keep up with the vast array of regulations, guidance documents, educational materials, and scholarly literature, already knows that the human research protections system is mined with contradictions, gaps, and confusions. It holds together well enough, but many dedicated folks have long struggled to MacGyver rickety spots of theory and practice known to be problematic. For the Common Good: Philosophical Foundations of Research Ethics, by Alex John London, comes to the rescue, offering an eloquently structured, amply justified, and ultimately persuasive theoretical foundation on which many necessary repairs can now be built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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17. The "Vulnerability" of Psychiatric Research Participants: Why This Research Ethics Concept Needs to Be Revisited.
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Bracken-Roche, Dearbhail, Bell, Emily, and Racine, Eric
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PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability , *RESEARCH ethics , *HUMAN research subjects , *STEREOTYPES , *PSYCHIATRY , *MEDICAL research ethics , *AT-risk people , *ETHICS ,PSYCHIATRIC research - Abstract
The article argues for the need to revisit the concept of vulnerability in the context of psychiatric research as a reconsideration of the vulnerability of psychiatric participants is an important step to break down stereotypes in research ethics. Revisiting pivotal concept of vulnerability and supporting concrete changes in the governance of research ethics is said to be an essential component of a new approach with a potential to affect participation of psychiatric participants in research.
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- 2016
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18. Knowledge of Federal Regulations for Mental Health Research Involving Prisoners.
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Johnson, Mark E., Brems, Christiane, Bergman, Aaron L., Mills, Michael E., and Eldridge, Gloria D.
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Background:Given their vulnerability to coercion and exploitation, prisoners who participate in research are protected by Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) regulations designed to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Knowledge of these regulations is essential for researchers who conduct and institutional review boards (IRBs) that oversee mental health research in correctional settings.Methods:We explored depth of knowledge of OHRP regulations by surveying a nationwide sample of (1) mental health researchers who have conducted research in correctional settings, (2) mental health researchers who have conducted research in noncorrectional settings, (3) IRB members who have overseen mental health research in correctional settings, (4) IRB members who have overseen mental health research in in noncorrectional settings, and (5) IRB prisoner representatives. Participants responded to a 10-item knowledge questionnaire based on OHRP regulations.Results:There were 1,256 participants who provided usable data (44.9% response rate). Results revealed limited knowledge of OHRP regulations, with a mean across groups of 44.1% correct answers. IRB prisoner representatives, IRB members, and researchers with correctional experience demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge; however, even these participants were able to correctly answer only approximately 50% of the items.Conclusions:Although awareness that prisoners are a protected population and that different regulatory procedures apply to research with them is likely to be universal among researchers and IRB members, our findings reveal limited mastery of the specific OHRP regulations that are essential knowledge for researchers who conduct and IRB members who oversee mental health research in correctional settings. Given well-documented health and health care disparities, prisoners could potentially benefit greatly from mental health research; increasing knowledge of the OHRP regulations among researchers and IRB members is a crucial step toward meeting this important public health goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
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19. Harmonization and streamlining of research oversight for pragmatic clinical trials.
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O’Rourke, P. Pearl, Carrithers, Judith, Patrick-Lake, Bray, Rice, Todd W., Corsmo, Jeremy, Hart, Raffaella, Drezner, Marc K., and Lantos, John D.
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CLINICAL medicine ,CLINICAL trials ,CONFLICT of interests ,EXPERIMENTAL design ,EVALUATION of medical care ,INSTITUTIONAL review boards ,HEALTH Insurance Portability & Accountability Act ,SOCIAL media ,MOBILE apps - Abstract
The oversight of research involving human participants is a complex process that requires institutional review board review as well as multiple non-institutional review board institutional reviews. This multifaceted process is particularly challenging for multisite research when each site independently completes all required local reviews. The lack of inter-institutional standardization can result in different review outcomes for the same protocol, which can delay study operations from start-up to study completion. Hence, there have been strong calls to harmonize and thus streamline the research oversight process. Although the institutional review board is only one of the required reviews, it is often identified as the target for harmonization and streamlining. Data regarding variability in decision-making and interpretation of the regulations across institutional review boards have led to a perception that variability among institutional review boards is a primary contributor to the problems with review of multisite research. In response, many researchers and policymakers have proposed the use of a single institutional review board of record, also called a central institutional review board, as an important remedy. While this proposal has merit, the use of a central institutional review board for multisite research does not address the larger problem of completing non-institutional review board institutional review in addition to institutional review board review—and coordinating the interdependence of these reviews. In this article, we describe the overall research oversight process, distinguish between institutional review board and institutional responsibilities, and identify challenges and opportunities for harmonization and streamlining. We focus on procedural and organizational issues and presume that the protection of human subjects remains the paramount concern. Suggested modifications of institutional review board processes that focus on time, efficiency, and consistency of review must also address what effect such changes have on the quality of review. We acknowledge that assessment of quality is difficult in that quality metrics for institutional review board review remain elusive. At best, we may be able to assess the time it takes to review protocols and the consistency across institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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20. A Brief History of Biomedical Research Ethics in Iran: Conflict of Paradigms.
- Author
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Aramesh, Kiarash
- Subjects
- *
MEDICAL research , *PARADIGM (Theory of knowledge) , *MEDICAL ethics , *PATERNALISM , *BIOCHEMICAL genetics - Abstract
During the past two decades, Iran has experienced a noteworthy growth in its biomedical research sector. At the same time, ethical concerns and debates resulting from this burgeoning enterprise has led to increasing attention paid to biomedical ethics. In Iran, Biomedical research ethics and research oversight passed through major periods during the past decades, separated by a paradigm shift. Period 1, starting from the early 1970s, is characterized by research paternalism and complete reliance on researchers as virtuous and caring physicians. This approach was in concordance with the paternalistic clinical practice of physicians outside of research settings during the same period. Period 2, starting from the late 1990s, was partly due to revealing of ethical flaws that occurred in biomedical research in Iran. The regulatory and funding bodies concluded that it was not sufficient to rely solely on the personal and professional virtues of researchers to safeguard human subjects' rights and welfare. The necessity for independent oversight, emphasized by international declarations, became obvious and undeniable. This paradigm shift led to the establishment of research ethics committees throughout the country, the establishment of academic research centers focusing on medical ethics (MEHR) and the compilation of the first set of national ethical guidelines on biomedical research-one of the first and most important projects conducted by and in the MEHR. Although not yet arrived, 'period 3' is on its way. It is predictable from the obvious trends toward performance of high-quality clinical research and the appearance of a highly educated new generation, especially among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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21. Assessing dual use research of concern (DURC)-lessons learned from the United States government institutional DURC policy.
- Author
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Moritz R
- Subjects
- United States, Humans, Bioterrorism prevention & control, Government, Policy, Dual Use Research, Biomedical Research
- Abstract
Life science research was analyzed for potential misuse in the 2004 report "Biotechnology Research in an Age of Bioterrorism". However, it was not until 2015 that the United States Government (USG) Institutional Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) policy went into effect. Institutions receiving USG funding for life science research are required to scan their research portfolios for research involving one of 15 agents and subsequent 7 experimental effects described in the policy. In practice, this policy was implemented in a variety of ways with varying outcomes and lessons learned. First and foremost, reviewing research for potential DURC is a highly subjective process that differs depending on the risk tolerance, experience, and training of the individuals charged with reviewing research for an institution as well as the review process itself. The information being reviewed also lends to the subjectivity of the process, that is, the experimental data provided. It is difficult to determine whether research is potential DURC without experimental data. Any review process is hypothetical until there is data. Lastly, reviewers of the research should look beyond the research proposals, like how compounding existing research information can create new risks, potential use in other organisms or systems, or the creation of a roadmap that, for example, shows how to create a concerning organism or could be used in a pathogen.
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- 2022
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22. The concept of governance in dual-use research.
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Dubov, Alex
- Abstract
The rapid advance of life science within the context of increased international concern over the potential misuse of findings has resulted in the lack of agreement on the issues of responsibility, control and collaboration. This progress of knowledge outpaces the efforts of creating moral and legal guidelines for the detection and minimization of the risks in the research process. There is a need to identify and address normative aspects of dual-use research. This paper focuses on the issues of safety and global collaboration in life science research by highlighting the importance of openness, enabling policies and cooperative governance. These safeguards are believed to reduce the risks related to the misuse of science while enabling the important research to move forward. The paper addresses the need for a better definition of dual use concept and, based on the historical precedents, explores the moral concerns and governmental strategies of dual-use research. The three necessary moves in addressing the issue of security in life sciences are suggested: the move from constraining to enabling types of policies, the move from secrecy to openness, and the move from segregation to integration of the public voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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23. Ethical issues related to brain organoid research
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Insoo Hyun, J.C. Scharf-Deering, and Jeantine E. Lunshof
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0301 basic medicine ,Consciousness ,CEREBRAL ORGANOIDS ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Article ,Ethics, Research ,Consent ,03 medical and health sciences ,Brain organoids ,0302 clinical medicine ,Procurement ,Political science ,Organoid ,Animals ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,PROGRESS ,media_common ,Ethics ,Ethical issues ,General Neuroscience ,Brain ,Animal research ,Organoids ,MODEL ,030104 developmental biology ,DIFFERENTIATION ,PROSPECTS ,Tissue bank ,Engineering ethics ,Neurology (clinical) ,Research oversight ,STEM-CELLS ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
This review provides a snapshot of the current ethical issues related to research with human brain organoids. The issues fall into the following main themes: research oversight; human biomaterials procurement and donor consent; translational delivery; animal research; and organoid consciousness and moral status. Each of these areas poses challenges for researchers, bioethicists, regulators, research institutions, and tissue banks. However, progress can be made if these parties build on past experiences with stem cell research, ethics, and policy, but adapted accordingly to new aspects of brain organoid research.
- Published
- 2020
24. Ethical issues related to brain organoid research
- Subjects
Ethics ,Consent ,MODEL ,Brain organoids ,DIFFERENTIATION ,PROSPECTS ,Consciousness ,CEREBRAL ORGANOIDS ,Research oversight ,Animal research ,STEM-CELLS ,PROGRESS - Abstract
This review provides a snapshot of the current ethical issues related to research with human brain organoids. The issues fall into the following main themes: research oversight; human biomaterials procurement and donor consent; translational delivery; animal research; and organoid consciousness and moral status. Each of these areas poses challenges for researchers, bioethicists, regulators, research institutions, and tissue banks. However, progress can be made if these parties build on past experiences with stem cell research, ethics, and policy, but adapted accordingly to new aspects of brain organoid research.
- Published
- 2020
25. Regulatory Practices and School-based Research: Making Sense of Research Ethics/Review
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Susan Ann Tilley, Kelly D. Powick-Kumar, and Snežana Ratković
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Research Ethics Boards ,school-based research review ,teacher research ,ethics and qualitative research ,research oversight ,Social sciences (General) ,H1-99 - Abstract
This article focuses on the ethics/research review practices of a university Research Ethics Board (REB) and a school board Research Review Committee (RRC). Applications to conduct school-based research submitted to the REB and RRC and in-depth, open-ended interviews with REB and RRC members serve as data for the study. In this paper, we highlight the institutional board decisions, especially requests for clarification documented in the applications, giving specific attention to applications proposing qualitative/teacher research. Empirical research focused on the inside workings of REBs and RRCs, which would provide particular kinds of knowledge related to research/ethics review, is recommended. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0902326
- Published
- 2009
26. Variation in Local Institutional Review Board Evaluations of a Multicenter Patient Safety Study.
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Thompson, David A., Kass, Nancy, Holzmueller, Christine, Marsteller, Jill A., Martinez, Elizabeth A., Gurses, Ayse P., Kanchuger, Marc, Schwann, Nanette, Gibson, Charles S., Bauer, Laura, and Pronovost, Peter J.
- Abstract
Several highly visible quality improvement (QI) projects led to controversy over their ethical oversight, attracting attention from institutional review boards (IRBs) and the Office for Human Research Protection. While QI research has increased dramatically, there is limited empirical evidence regarding how multiple IRBs review the same study. This paper describes the variations in local IRB reviews for the same a multicenter QI study. The study, entitled 'Locating Errors through Networked Surveillance', used multiple data collection methods to identify patient safety risks in cardiovascular operating room services. This study involved 2-day site visits to 5 hospitals by the research team to observe cardiac surgery procedures and interview staff regarding clinical practice and hazards. Surveys were self-administered. The IRB process varied widely across the 5 hospitals. Reviews ranged from full committee review and approval with verbal consent required from patients and operating room staff, to an IRB determining the study exempt from review and participant consent. The time to IRB approval ranged from 6 weeks to 6 months. This variation suggests there is wide interpretation of the Federal regulations put in place to guide IRBs. The adoption of uniformity would not only reduce inefficiencies but also attenuate the perceived arbitrary nature of current IRB review processes that often inappropriately influence hypothesis-generation and study design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Stem Cell Policy Exceptionalism: Proceed with Caution.
- Author
-
Lomax, Geoffrey and Peckman, Steven
- Subjects
- *
EMBRYONIC stem cells , *MEDICAL ethics , *CELL lines , *EMBRYOS , *CELLULAR signal transduction , *HEALTH policy - Abstract
The term 'stem cell exceptionalism' has been used to characterize the policy response to controversies surrounding human embryonic stem cell research. For example, governments and funding agencies have adopted policies governing the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cell lines. These policies have effectively served to fill gaps in existing guidelines and regulations and signal that scientists are committed to a responsible framework for the conduct of research involving human embryos. Recent publications discuss whether ethical and policy issues associated with induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs) from non-embryonic sources create a need for further policy intervention. We suggest many of the issues identified by commentators may be addressed through the application of established policy frameworks governing the use of tissue, human stem cells, and research participation by human research subjects. To the extent, iPSC research intersects with hESC research (e.g. the creation of human gametes and/or embryos), the policy framework governing hESC appears sufficiently robust at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Designing oversight for nanomedicine research in human subjects: systematic analysis of exceptional oversight for emerging technologies.
- Author
-
Wolf, Susan and Jones, Cortney
- Subjects
- *
NANOMEDICAL research , *MEDICAL experimentation on humans , *DRUG development , *CLINICAL trials , *MEDICAL protocols , *DRUG design - Abstract
The basic procedures and rules for oversight of U.S. human subjects research have been in place since 1981. Certain types of human subjects research, however, have provoked creation of additional mechanisms and rules beyond the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Common Rule and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) equivalent. Now another emerging domain of human subjects research-nanomedicine-is prompting calls for extra oversight. However, in 30 years of overseeing research on human beings, we have yet to specify what makes a domain of scientific research warrant extra oversight. This failure to systematically evaluate the need for extra measures, the type of extra measures appropriate for different challenges, and the usefulness of those measures hampers efforts to respond appropriately to emerging science such as nanomedicine. This article evaluates the history of extra oversight, extracting lessons for oversight of nanomedicine research in human beings. We argue that a confluence of factors supports the need for extra oversight, including heightened uncertainty regarding risks, fast-evolving science yielding complex and increasingly active materials, likelihood of research on vulnerable participants including cancer patients, and potential risks to others beyond the research participant. We suggest the essential elements of the extra oversight needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Statistical Power, the Belmont Report, and the Ethics of Clinical Trials.
- Author
-
Vollmer, Sara H. and Howard, George
- Subjects
- *
STATISTICAL power analysis , *RESEARCH , *ETHICS , *LEGAL compliance , *CLINICAL trials - Abstract
hieving a good clinical trial design increases the likelihood that a trial will take place as planned, including that data will be obtained from a sufficient number of participants, and the total number of participants will be the minimal required to gain the knowledge sought. A good trial design also increases the likelihood that the knowledge sought by the experiment will be forthcoming. Achieving such a design is more than good sense-it is ethically required in experiments when participants are at risk of harm. This paper argues that doing a power analysis effectively contributes to ensuring that a trial design is good. The ethical importance of good trial design has long been recognized for trials in which there is risk of serious harm to participants. However, whether the quality of a trial design, when the risk to participants is only minimal, is an ethical issue is rarely discussed. This paper argues that even in cases when the risk is minimal, the quality of the trial design is an ethical issue, and that this is reflected in the emphasis the Belmont Report places on the importance of the benefit of knowledge gained by society. The paper also argues that good trial design is required for true informed consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Editors' Overview: Topics in the Responsible Management of Research Data.
- Author
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Giffels, Joe, Vollmer, Sara H., and Bird, Stephanie J.
- Subjects
- *
INFORMATION resources management , *RESEARCH institutes , *ETHICS , *LEGAL compliance , *SCIENCE - Abstract
Responsible data management is a multifaceted topic involving standards within the research community regarding research design and the sharing of data as well as the collection, selection, analysis and interpretation of data. Transparency in the manipulation of images is increasingly important in order to avoid misrepresentation of research findings, and research oversight is also critical in helping to assure the integrity of the research process. Intellectual property issues both unite and divide academe and industry in their approaches to data management. Central to the realization and promulgation of responsible data management is clear and careful communication of standards and expectations within the research community to trainees as well as among colleagues. These topics are examined and explored in depth in a special issue of Science and Engineering Ethics on responsible data management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Regulatory Practices and School-based Research: Making Sense of Research Ethics/Review.
- Author
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Tilley, Susan A., Powick-Kumar, Kelly D., and Ratković, SneŽana
- Subjects
ETHICS ,RESEARCH ethics ,LITERATURE reviews ,REVIEW committees ,OPEN-ended questions ,EMPIRICAL research - Abstract
This article focuses on the ethics/research review practices of a university Research Ethics Board (REB) and a school board Research Review Committee (RRC). Applications to conduct school-based research submitted to the REB and RRC and in-depth, open-ended interviews with REB and RRC members serve as data for the study. In this paper, we highlight the institutional board decisions, especially requests for clarification documented in the applications, giving specific attention to applications proposing qualitative/teacher research. Empirical research focused on the inside workings of REBs and RRCs, which would provide particular kinds of knowledge related to research/ethics review, is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
32. Overseeing Research Practice.
- Author
-
Leahey, Erin
- Subjects
- *
RESEARCH , *THEORY-practice relationship , *ETHICS , *DATA editing , *QUALITY assurance , *TACIT knowledge , *GATEKEEPING , *DATA protection , *INTELLECTUAL freedom - Abstract
This article examines whether and how a particular research practice is overseen and supervised, and by whom. This investigation fills notable gaps in the literature on science, including a lack of emphasis on larger sociopolitical structures, a neglect of regulation, and indifference toward ethics. The author focuses on the oversight of a particular research practice; data editing; which embodies qualities that are intriguing to sociologists of science: invisibility, uncertainty, heterogeneity, and reliance on tacit knowledge. These characteristics pose unique challenges to oversight efforts. An analysis of in-depth interviews with gatekeepers reveals that although the methodological and ethical implications of data editing strategies can be substantial, oversight of such practices falls outside the stages and domains of current gatekeeping activity. These findings serve as the basis for recommendations to ensure data integrity while maintaining the professional autonomy of researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Session C: Respect for all subjects of science: Toward a unified system of research oversight
- Author
-
Walker, Rebecca L and Fisher, Jill A
- Subjects
education ,moral status ,research oversight ,bioethics ,animal research - Abstract
Human and nonhuman animal research are guided by different ethics and policy frameworks, with an assumption of little overlap between these research programs. However, we argue that two ‘outlier’ cases—companion animal research and Phase I trials—illustrate the ethical danger of separately regulating human and nonhuman animal research. On one hand, companion animal research utilizes privately ‘owned’ animals for example to test new veterinary products. Unlike in conventional laboratory research, these animals are subjects at large in the community whose guardians bring them in for any study-related procedures. Hence, the structure of these research studies is similar to human trials, perhaps pediatric trials in particular where one person consents on behalf of someone in their care. On the other hand, Phase I human trials test safety and tolerability of investigational drugs in paid healthy volunteers. Phase I clinical trials typically take place in confinement facilities where subjects are monitored for compliance with requirements from what food to eat and when, to limitations on exercise, and are readily available for drug dosing, blood draws, and other interventions. As a result, these trials can be said to mirror the structure of nonhuman animal research. These cases suggest that the human subject oversight norm becomes critical for ethical animal research and vice versa. Companion animal research cannot be successful without the meaningful consent and cooperation of animal guardians. Further, companion animals may be viewed more as vulnerable subjects than as research animals whose interests the needs of science may override. Similarly, because healthy humans in confinement facilities are tightly controlled in their environment and activities, welfare is a crucial ethical norm to guide this type of research. In this paper, we problematize the different formal systems of oversight to which human and nonhuman animal studies are subjected, including separate laws, policies, and oversight bodies for the ‘care and use’ of animals and for the ‘protection’ of human subjects. These regulatory systems are also guided by divergent ethical frameworks. Animal researchers are required to attend to animal welfare through implementing the three Rs (reduce, refine, replace), while those working with human subjects must adhere to the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Less explicit, but crucial to their functioning, these ethical frameworks trade on an assumed hierarchy of moral status between humans and other animals. While the harmful use of animals should be avoided where possible, human benefit is presumed to justify such uses. Some uses of human subjects, however, are deemed unethical regardless of potential benefit to others. While the relative moral status of human and nonhuman animals is the subject of much bioethical debate, less attention has been given to how structural features of human and nonhuman animal research relate to the regulatory differences in oversight of each group. By focusing on companion animal research and Phase I healthy volunteer trials, we make a case for a unified regulatory structure and ethical framework that respects all subjects and attends to the structural features of the science in determining relevant protections.
- Published
- 2018
34. IBCs – A cornerstone of public trust in research
- Author
-
Harris, Kathryn L., Bayha, Ryan, Corrigan-Curay, Jacqueline, and Wolinetz, Carrie D.
- Subjects
Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee ,NIH Guidelines ,NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities ,research oversight ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Article ,public trust ,IBC site visit program - Abstract
For four decades the NIH Guidelines have served as the framework for the oversight of research with recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules. IBCs are a vital component in that system of oversight as the entity that ensures the safe conduct of this type of research at the local level. IBC review also provides a public window into the procedures utilized by institutions to manage biohazards, thereby protecting human health, animal health, and the environment. It is both because of their biosafety responsibilities, as well as the manner in which they offer transparency to the public, that IBCs play a central role in fostering public trust in the safety of the life science research enterprise.
- Published
- 2016
35. Erratum to: The concept of ‘vulnerability’ in research ethics: an in-depth analysis of policies and guidelines
- Author
-
Dearbhail Bracken-Roche, Emily Bell, Mary Ellen Macdonald, and Eric Racine
- Subjects
Ethics policy ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Biomedical Research ,International Cooperation ,Vulnerability ,Vulnerable Populations ,Ethics, Research ,Health administration ,Research ethics ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Political science ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Health policy ,Clinical Trials as Topic ,Informed Consent ,Research policy ,business.industry ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Research ,030503 health policy & services ,Health Policy ,Public health ,Health services research ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Public relations ,Personal Autonomy ,Practice Guidelines as Topic ,Research oversight ,Erratum ,0305 other medical science ,business - Abstract
Background The concept of vulnerability has held a central place in research ethics guidance since its introduction in the United States Belmont Report in 1979. It signals mindfulness for researchers and research ethics boards to the possibility that some participants may be at higher risk of harm or wrong. Despite its important intended purpose and widespread use, there is considerable disagreement in the scholarly literature about the meaning and delineation of vulnerability, stemming from a perceived lack of guidance within research ethics standards. The aim of this study was to assess the concept of vulnerability as it is employed in major national and international research ethics policies and guidelines. Methods We conducted an in-depth analysis of 11 (five national and six international) research ethics policies and guidelines, exploring their discussions of the definition, application, normative justification and implications of vulnerability. Results Few policies and guidelines explicitly defined vulnerability, instead relying on implicit assumptions and the delineation of vulnerable groups and sources of vulnerability. On the whole, we found considerable richness in the content on vulnerability across policies, but note that this relies heavily on the structure imposed on the data through our analysis. Conclusions Our results underscore a need for policymakers to revisit the guidance on vulnerability in research ethics, and we propose that a process of stakeholder engagement would well-support this effort.
- Published
- 2017
36. Ethical issues related to brain organoid research.
- Author
-
Hyun, Insoo, Scharf-Deering, J.C., and Lunshof, Jeantine E.
- Subjects
- *
STEM cell research , *TISSUE banks , *LABORATORY animals , *BIOETHICISTS - Abstract
This review provides a snapshot of the current ethical issues related to research with human brain organoids. The issues fall into the following main themes: research oversight; human biomaterials procurement and donor consent; translational delivery; animal research; and organoid consciousness and moral status. Each of these areas poses challenges for researchers, bioethicists, regulators, research institutions, and tissue banks. However, progress can be made if these parties build on past experiences with stem cell research, ethics, and policy, but adapted accordingly to new aspects of brain organoid research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Risk Level, Research Oversight, and Decrements in Participant Protections
- Author
-
Iltis, Ana S., author
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. How interests and values evolve (sometimes unpredictably):A developmental teleology of research encounters
- Author
-
Kharlamov, Nikita, Kaszowska, Aleksandra, Bibace, Roger, Watzlawik, Meike, Kriebel, Alina, and Valsiner, Jaan
- Subjects
interviews ,Erving Goffman ,teleology ,ethics review ,research ethics ,epistemology ,social institutions ,Internal Review Boards ,ethnography ,human participants ,Harold Garfinkel ,motivation ,developmental psychology ,human subjects ,values ,research methodology ,social interactions ,research oversight - Published
- 2015
39. Barred from better medicine? Reexamining regulatory barriers to the inclusion of prisoners in research
- Author
-
Elaine Huang, Jennifer K. Wagner, and Jacqueline Cauley
- Subjects
Research program ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Participatory action research ,Context (language use) ,Public administration ,0603 philosophy, ethics and religion ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,03 medical and health sciences ,Political science ,research oversight ,Justice (ethics) ,media_common ,030505 public health ,Distrust ,PMI ,06 humanities and the arts ,16. Peace & justice ,Health equity ,3. Good health ,ELSI ,human subjects ,prisoners ,Original Article ,060301 applied ethics ,0305 other medical science ,Law ,vulnerable populations ,Diversity (politics) ,Criminal justice - Abstract
In 2015, President Obama announced plans for the Precision Medicine Initiative® (PMI), an ambitious longitudinal project aimed at revolutionizing medicine. Integral to this Initiative is the recruitment of over one million Americans into a volunteer research cohort, the All of UsSM Research Program. The announcement has generated much excitement but absent is a discussion of how the All of Us Research Program—to be implemented within the context of social realities of mass incarcerations and racial disparities in criminal justice and healthcare—might excaberate health disparities. We examine how attainment of Initiative's stated goals of reflecting the diversity of the American population and including all who are interested in participating might be impeded by regulatory and administrative barriers to the involvement of participants who become incarcerated during longitudinal studies. Changes have been proposed to the federal policy for human subjects research protections, but current regulations and administrative policies—developed under a protectionist paradigm in response to scandalous research practices with confined populations—dramatically limit research involving prisoners. Our review provides rationale for the development of Initiative policies that anticipate recruitment and retention obstacles that might frustrate inclusivity and exacerbate health disparities. Furthermore, we question the effective ban on biomedical and behavioral research involving prisoners and advocate for regulatory reforms that restore participatory research rights of prisoners. Disparities in health and justice are intertwined, and without regulatory reforms to facilitate participatory research rights of prisoners and careful planning of viable and responsible recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies, Initiative could miss discovery opportunities, exacerbate health disparities, and increase levels of distrust in science.
- Published
- 2017
40. The Revised and Final Common Rule: An Unfinished Story.
- Author
-
Bierer BE
- Subjects
- Ethics Committees, Research, United States, Biomedical Research ethics, Privacy
- Abstract
The revised Common Rule, published in January 2017, was the result of an arduous and lengthy process and of missed opportunities to rebalance foundational ethical principles and thereby to invigorate engagement in clinical research. The revision's shortcomings include a failure to substantively amend the definition of research even though generalizable knowledge is not the appropriate criterion by which to distinguish research from clinical care. The revised Common Rule does little to advance the oversight and governance of the continuum between research and clinical care, in which a central question is the balance between research in the service of public health and individual autonomy and privacy. In addition, the framers of the revised Common Rule had promised a risk-based approach to oversight, but the revision failed to develop the theme adequately for implementation. This is disappointing as a risk-based framework remains a tenable approach and the specifics need to be articulated. The patchwork of federal regulations of which the revised Common Rule is a piece renders the clinical trial ecosystem inefficient and costly, without diminishing administrative burden or enhancing participant protections. We should engage all stakeholders to reframe standards for clinical research that are applicable nationally and internationally., (Copyright© 2017 The Hastings Center.)
- Published
- 2017
41. Resolving issues of consent and oversight: One step closer to terra firma in deceased organ donor research.
- Author
-
Mora-Esteves, Cesar and Koneru, Baburao
- Subjects
- *
CARDIAC arrest , *ORGAN donation , *ORGAN donors - Abstract
The authors comment on a report by Michael M. Rey and colleagues which focused on issues of consent and oversight in deceased organ donor research. In the U.S. there was reportedly an increase in the proportion of extended criteria donors including cardiac death and older donors. Several obstacles to a review of donor management research include increased funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other funding agencies and streamlined regulatory/oversight process.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Harmonization and streamlining of research oversight for pragmatic clinical trials.
- Author
-
O'Rourke PP, Carrithers J, Patrick-Lake B, Rice TW, Corsmo J, Hart R, Drezner MK, and Lantos JD
- Subjects
- Humans, United States, Biomedical Research ethics, Biomedical Research standards, Clinical Trials as Topic ethics, Clinical Trials as Topic standards, Decision Making ethics, Ethics Committees, Research ethics, Research Design standards
- Abstract
The oversight of research involving human participants is a complex process that requires institutional review board review as well as multiple non-institutional review board institutional reviews. This multifaceted process is particularly challenging for multisite research when each site independently completes all required local reviews. The lack of inter-institutional standardization can result in different review outcomes for the same protocol, which can delay study operations from start-up to study completion. Hence, there have been strong calls to harmonize and thus streamline the research oversight process. Although the institutional review board is only one of the required reviews, it is often identified as the target for harmonization and streamlining. Data regarding variability in decision-making and interpretation of the regulations across institutional review boards have led to a perception that variability among institutional review boards is a primary contributor to the problems with review of multisite research. In response, many researchers and policymakers have proposed the use of a single institutional review board of record, also called a central institutional review board, as an important remedy. While this proposal has merit, the use of a central institutional review board for multisite research does not address the larger problem of completing non-institutional review board institutional review in addition to institutional review board review—and coordinating the interdependence of these reviews. In this article, we describe the overall research oversight process, distinguish between institutional review board and institutional responsibilities, and identify challenges and opportunities for harmonization and streamlining. We focus on procedural and organizational issues and presume that the protection of human subjects remains the paramount concern. Suggested modifications of institutional review board processes that focus on time, efficiency, and consistency of review must also address what effect such changes have on the quality of review. We acknowledge that assessment of quality is difficult in that quality metrics for institutional review board review remain elusive. At best, we may be able to assess the time it takes to review protocols and the consistency across institutions., (© The Author(s) 2015.)
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Comment on IRB Regulation of Ethnographic Research
- Author
-
Plattner, Stuart
- Published
- 2006
44. Community Involvement in the Ethical Review of Genetic Research: Lessons from American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
- Author
-
Sharp, Richard R. and Foster, Morris W.
- Published
- 2002
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