Reviewing the reviewers: a survey of institutional ethics committees in Australia

Completed questionnaires were received from 89 (88%) of the 101 Australian institutions identified as having an ethics committee which reviewed research on human subjects. The majority (75%) of committees complied with national requirements to include a layman, a laywoman, a minister of religion, a lawyer and a medical graduate with research experience in their membership. On average, the committees considered 41 research protocols in the year from mid 1987 to mid 1988. The proposed projects were from the medical sciences, including health services and epidemiology research (80% of projects), and the behavioural and social sciences (20% of projects). Less than half the committees monitored research projects in progress as a general practice. Most of the monitoring that was conducted was based on a report from the researcher on the progress of the study. Although monitoring, frequency of meetings, selection of committee members, member involvement in the review of their own protocols and provisions for expedited review gave cause for concern, most committees were found to follow the national guide-lines.