Which statement describes the Institutional Review Board?

Which statement describes the Institutional Review Board?

• A. It oversees patient safety during clinical care
• B. It approves hospital budget for research
• C. It is an independent review body that evaluates investigational protocols prior to implementation to ensure validity and ethical integrity
• D. It approves all research projects automatically

Answer: (C)

The Institutional Review Board is an independent group that reviews research involving human subjects before it begins, to protect participants and ensure ethical conduct. It assesses investigational protocols to weigh risks and potential benefits, checks that informed consent is appropriate and adequate, ensures equitable subject selection, and safeguards privacy and confidentiality. Because of this focus on pre-implementation review, safeguarding participants, and upholding ethical standards (along with ensuring the scientific validity of the approach), the description that it is an independent body evaluating protocols prior to implementation to ensure validity and ethical integrity is the best fit. It isn’t about overseeing patient care safety in routine clinical services, budgeting hospital research, or automatically approving all studies.

The Institutional Review Board is an independent group that reviews research involving human subjects before it begins, to protect participants and ensure ethical conduct. It assesses investigational protocols to weigh risks and potential benefits, checks that informed consent is appropriate and adequate, ensures equitable subject selection, and safeguards privacy and confidentiality. Because of this focus on pre-implementation review, safeguarding participants, and upholding ethical standards (along with ensuring the scientific validity of the approach), the description that it is an independent body evaluating protocols prior to implementation to ensure validity and ethical integrity is the best fit. It isn’t about overseeing patient care safety in routine clinical services, budgeting hospital research, or automatically approving all studies.