Development of an accessible self-assessment tool for research ethics committees in developing countries

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Global Health Research Ethics

Background:

• Growing research in developing nations necessitates robust oversight.
• The quality of research ethics committee (REC) review systems in these regions is often unknown.
• Lack of formal accreditation processes hinders REC performance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel self-assessment tool for RECs.
• To provide a mechanism for RECs to evaluate their policies and processes against international standards.
• To address the need for quality assessment in REC performance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a self-assessment tool by REC members and researchers.
• Focus on pragmatic aspects of human subjects protection.
• Tool designed for relevance to administrative processes in developing world RECs.

Main Results:

• The tool was developed and reviewed by relevant stakeholders.
• It is based on international ethical standards.
• The tool is straightforward to complete and relevant to existing REC administrative processes.

Conclusions:

• The developed self-assessment tool offers a practical solution for RECs in developing countries.
• It facilitates review against international standards, enhancing human subject protection.
• This mechanism supports the improvement of ethical review quality in resource-limited settings.