Research ethics committees at work: the experience of one multi-location study

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Health Services Research
• Regulatory Science

Background:

• Research ethics committees (RECs) are crucial for overseeing research integrity.
• Variability in REC practices can impact research timelines and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes and timeliness of applications submitted to 43 research ethics committees.
• To identify inconsistencies in REC review processes across different health authorities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of application outcomes submitted to RECs within four regional health authorities in England.
• Data collection on the time lapse from application submission to outcome notification.

Main Results:

• Significant variation in REC practices was observed.
• The time to receive an approval outcome ranged from under one week to 23 weeks (mean 8.6 weeks).
• Four RECs failed to provide any notification of the application outcome.

Conclusions:

• The fragmented and inconsistent practices of local RECs necessitate a national ethics review body.
• A centralized REC would streamline the review of national and multi-location research studies.