Opening up research ethics boards

Research ethics boards (REBs) are charged with protecting the rights and welfare of research subjects participating in studies associated with their institution. In her commentary calling for a centralized system to track REB decisions, Lorraine Ferris cautions that the boards currently cannot share information even when reviewing the same research protocol because most of them are constrained from divulging confidential information about matters before them. The author recommends changes to increase communication and coordination, and offer legal immunity for doing so.

p. 1279 Industry-sponsored pharmaceutical trials and research ethics boards: Are they cloaked in too much secrecy? — L.E. Ferris

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