|
|
 |
|
|
In the spring of 2007, MSFHR commenced facilitation of a BC-wide process for exploring opportunities and stakeholder interest in developing a more effective, coordinated provincial approach to ethical approval of research involving human subjects. Initiated at the request of stakeholders and endorsed by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Advanced Education, this project offers an unprecedented opportunity for BC's health research community to collectively address a priority issue affecting the effectiveness and quality of the provincial research enterprise.
To inform the project, MSFHR has undertaken extensive research, including an environmental scan of existing mechanisms and structures across BC; exploration of harmonized ethics processes and structures in other jurisdictions (provincial, national and international); and a survey of BC researchers about their experiences relating to ethics review processes.
November 2007 Workshop
On November 19, 2007 in Vancouver, MSFHR convened an invitational workshop involving researchers, VPs or Directors of Research, and Chairs or Managers of Research Ethics Boards (REBs) from key BC health research institutions and organizations. This group is uniquely qualified to discuss options for a coordinated response in meeting the need for a provincial approach to ethical approval.
MSFHR presented the results of the environmental scans and investigator survey, along with comments from expert speakers. Participants then discussed issues, barriers and options for coordinating a provincial approach to improving the quality, access, consistency, efficiency and capacity for ethical review of research involving human subjects in British Columbia.
MSFHR has produced a report on the workshop's deliberations:
Dr. Greg Koski is a physician-investigator at Harvard Medical School. In June 2000, at a time of national upheaval in human research, then Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala created the United States Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and recruited Dr. Koski to be OHRP’s first director. As plenary speaker at the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative Workshop, Dr. Koski spoke from his extensive experience with alternative approaches to REB harmonization in various jurisdictions. He challenged workshop participants to understand ethics review as a system, with shared responsibility spanning institutions, researchers, ethics review board staff and REB members.
Dr. Greg Koski's presentation to the ethics workshop:
To inform discussions at the workshop, MSFHR prepared three background documents:
For more information about the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative, see About the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative (PDF), Task Force members (PDF), and Task Force Terms of Reference (PDF).
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
Last updated February 25, 2007
|
|
|
