[Variation and inconsistency in the evaluation of experiments by medical ethics committees]

To detect the standards applied by research review boards the files of 22 boards were analysed. Furthermore, three research protocols arranged for the purpose were submitted to 21 boards. The most remarkable finding is the great variation and inconsistency in the standards applied by the boards. Sometimes this leads to incompatible decisions on the same research project. In other cases decisions of boards are against Dutch law. Inconsistency exists between various boards, as well as within boards. Several instruments are proposed to reduce both forms of inconsistency.