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Service evaluation: A grey area of research?
Lu-Yen A Chen1, Tonks N Fawcett1
1The University of Edinburgh, UK.
Nursing Ethics
|December 22, 2017
Summary
This paper argues that current UK National Health Service governance provides insufficient ethical oversight for service evaluations. Many studies are misclassified as non-research, bypassing crucial ethical review and participant protection.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Medical Ethics
- Research Governance
Background:
- The UK National Health Service categorizes activities into service evaluation, clinical audit, surveillance, usual practice, and research.
- Only activities classified as 'research' undergo rigorous review by Research Ethics Committees (RECs).
- This classification system aims to protect research participants and ensure public trust.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that current governance lacks sufficient ethical oversight for 'service evaluation' projects.
- To explore the ethical concerns associated with activities classified as 'service evaluation'.
- To highlight the problematic distinction between 'research' and 'service evaluation'.
Main Methods:
- Position paper analyzing the UK National Health Service's categorization of research and research-like activities.
- Critical examination of the ethical implications of classifying 'service evaluation' as non-research.
- Discussion of the 'grey area' between research and service evaluation.
Main Results:
- A significant percentage of studies are classified as non-research, thus not reviewed by RECs.
- This exclusion from REC review may leave service evaluation projects with inadequate ethical scrutiny.
- The current distinction may not adequately protect participants or uphold ethical standards in practice.
Conclusions:
- The current governance framework for research and research-like activities is insufficient for 'service evaluation'.
- There is a need to address the ethical discomfort arising from the classification and oversight of service evaluations.
- Re-evaluation of the categorization and ethical review process for service evaluations is warranted to ensure participant protection.
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