Quorum Review IRB recently released an online resource recommending ways to shorten and simplify consent forms. Since overly long and convoluted consent forms are an ongoing headache for IRB members and researchers, we thought we’d share some of Quorum’s suggestions with you in a series of blog items. And we recognize that with industry sponsored […]
CRS certification holders — we need your opinion!
We’re asking everyone who has completed the Certified Research Specialist program to give us some feedback about the CRS curriculum. Please click on our SurveyMonkey link to share your opinions about the program. We’d like to get more information about what you think the program’s strengths and weaknesses are to help evaluate the overall program. We’re […]
The IRB’s on the move
While we’re not exactly heading out to claim new territory, the weekly IRB meetings are set to move beginning Tuesday, June 7. We are returning to our old space in the Biomed 1 building, rooms 205/207 on the second floor. You can enter these rooms from the atrium at the top of the stairs. Those […]
New questions on CLARA new submission form
You may notice some new questions on the new submission form in CLARA. We’ve added some questions related to the use of external IRBs. If your study will undergo its primary review by an outside IRB, click “yes” to the “are you requesting use of an external IRB” query. The next question will ask for […]
CITI training now valid for three years
If you thought you heard the angels singing today, your ears weren’t playing tricks on you – they really were singing (the angels, not your ears). Why? Because the required human subject protection training taken online at citiprogram.org is now valid for three years, up from the previous two years. That means you and your […]
Protocol design and subject safety above the fold
One of the IRB’s criteria for approval of research is “Risks to subjects are minimized by using procedures which are consistent with sound research design and which do not unnecessarily expose subjects to risk. While questions remain about the recent clinical trial in France that led to the death of one participant and serious adverse […]
Updates on the adverse events reported in clinical trial in France
It should come as no surprise that there are no quick answers to the question of what, exactly, went wrong in the clinical trial in France in which one participant has died and 5 others experienced other serious adverse events. A few more news articles about the study are here: An early report in Science A quick […]
Another $.02 on the proposed Common Rule revision
As mentioned previously, one of the most contentious proposals in the current Common Rule draft requires the obtaining of informed consent for future research use of tissue specimens. Here’s one opinion on how this requirement might impact communities with limited access to health care – a concern relevant to many areas of Arkansas.
Another reminder of why research matters
Author Paul McLean has probably given a lot of thought to medical ethics, both as an ethics fellow at Harvard Medical School, and as the parent of a child who directly benefited from medical research. And apparently he’s a dog person too. Read his family’s story at the link above.
A Research History Trivia quiz, and a reminder of why research ethics matter
The following research history trivia quiz should get us thinking both about just how long research has been going on, and why maintaining certain ethical standards is important. Q. Where would you look to find a description of the earliest known activity that might be described as research involving one or more human subjects? Published descriptions of […]