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Ethics committees and health services research
M Ginzler1, J Davies, K McPherson
1Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Journal of Public Health Medicine
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Ethics committees in Britain experienced significant delays in approving multi-center health services research. Improving application forms and committee expertise may help, but systemic issues persist.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Medical Ethics
- Research Administration
Background:
- Ethics committees (ECs) in Britain were established for clinical research.
- ECs increasingly review multi-center health services research (HSR) applications.
- Challenges in HSR review processes require examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the performance of 23 ethics committees reviewing a multi-center non-experimental prostatectomy study.
- To identify factors contributing to delays in HSR application approvals.
Main Methods:
- A case-study approach was used.
- Performance evaluation of 23 ethics committees.
- Analysis of an application for a multi-center non-experimental prostatectomy study.
Main Results:
- All 23 ethics committees approved the study.
- Significant delays were observed, averaging 11.5 weeks (range 3-32 weeks).
- Delays were more pronounced in teaching districts with high application volumes; committee composition and meeting frequency were not significant factors.
Conclusions:
- Improving application forms and ensuring HSR expertise within committees may reduce some delays.
- Applicants face systemic "logistic traps" between funding bodies, clinicians, and ECs.
- A shift from individualistic medical ethics to a collective ethic is needed to overcome persistent HSR delays.