Certificates of Confidentiality can provide important legal protections to researchers who work in potentially sensitive areas. These certificates allow research teams to decline to provide sensitive information in response to certain legal requests, such as subpoenas. The process for obtaining a certificate of confidentiality involves submitting an application to the federal government. However, NIH recently […]
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More great — and free — tools for clinical trial investigators
If you’re an investigator who writes your own IND or IDE protocols – or you work with an investigator who does – here’s a new resource you’ll want to note. The NIH and FDA have jointly released a protocol template for phase 2 and 3 IND/IDE clinical trials. The link above takes you to a news […]
A not-so-short course in informed consent for research
When we think “informed consent process,” we very often think of an interaction that involves a written consent form. However, there are other ways of exchanging and documenting information, and some of those alternatives may be appropriate for certain low-risk studies. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published “an overview of innovative approaches to […]
Research toolkits, free for the taking (or for the clicking, more precisely)
We like to share resources that might be helpful to researchers whenever we find them. A recent find comes courtesy of the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard (look under “resources). This group has done some work on, among many other things, the return of research results to participants. Transparency […]
The value of research from the subjects’ perspective — the survivors
While the pundits argue whether scientific research results are meaningful, other people are demonstrating the value of biomedical research in their own lives. Chronic myeloid leukemia used to have a fairly grim prognosis, but the early trials of the drug that became Gleevec showed that more favorable outcomes were possible. STAT recently published a roundup of […]
Please describe subject compensation in great and gory detail
One issue the IRB pays close attention to is the proposed compensation for study subjects. When submitting studies, please make sure your materials clearly and thoroughly describe the compensation. The total amount it’s possible to earn for completing the study must be mentioned, as does how compensation will be prorated if subjects don’t complete all […]
Remember — Human subject protection-related decisions are the purview of the UAMS IRB
Word has reached us, through the grapevine, of investigators being told things like, “You’ll have to rerecord that recruitment video” and “Unless you get a reconsent, you won’t be able to use that subject’s data because you didn’t follow your approved consent process” by people who are NOT the IRB. We’ve also heard that some […]
Is much biomedical research nothing more than bad science?
A science reporter for National Public Radio weighs in on the quality of biomedical research in a new book out this month. The title of Richard Harris’ book, “Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hopes, and Wastes Billions,” does little to instill confidence in those of us who make our careers in, […]
Seeking study subjects? The ARresearch.org Registry may be able to help
If you’re trying to think of ways to find people who might be interested in your study, the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) may be able to help. TRI’s ARresearch.org volunteer registry provides investigators with access to nearly 3,000 potential research participants located primarily in Arkansas. Like all recruitment mechanisms, ARresearch.org database access requires IRB […]
Remember, NICE reviews aren’t “audits”
The New Investigation Consult and Education (NICE) reviews provided by the ACH and UAMS research compliance staff are wonderful tools. They can help a newly approved study get off to a good start by identifying and fixing any problems before subject enrollment begins. Keep this important tip in mind when following up on NICE review findings. […]