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Challenges and strategies to research ethics in conducting COVID‐19 research
Author(s) -
Ma Xitao,
Wang Yanqiao,
Gao Tian,
He Qing,
He Yan,
Yue Rensong,
You Fengming,
Tang Jianyuan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of evidence‐based medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.885
H-Index - 22
ISSN - 1756-5391
DOI - 10.1111/jebm.12388
Subject(s) - duty , pandemic , covid-19 , control (management) , research ethics , public health , engineering ethics , balance (ability) , political science , business , public relations , medicine , disease , law , economics , engineering , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , management , pathology , physical medicine and rehabilitation
The number of research involving human subjects on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is surging, bringing challenges to the ethical review committee (ERC) in terms of reviewing speed and special ethical considerations under the pandemic. However, the existing ethical review system and regulations have their limitations to meet the demand for a prompt and efficient epidemic control. Since the research under the public health emergency is different from that carried out in familiar situations to design and implementation, the strategy for a satisfactory ERC response should balance the duty of protecting individual participants as well as the special public needs derived from the disease control. It is suggested that the ethical review‐related regulations need to be updated, and a unified supervision system to the overall ERC is required. ERC collaboration, capacity‐improving and efficiency‐improving measures need to be taken. With respect to the reviewing guidelines, it is suggested that the international norms should be explained with more consideration of the local condition and the exceptional circumstances in this public health emergency. A joint effort needs to be taken for better research conduction.