Concurrent Plenary Sessions
Panel VII: IRB Decision-Making From a Behavioral Economics Perspective
Christine Grady, RN, PhD
Chief, Department of Bioethics
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Charles Lidz, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry (Sociology)
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Ivor Pritchard, PhD
Senior Advisor to the Director
Office for Human Research Protections
Michele Russell-Einhorn, JD
Chief Compliance Officer; Institutional Official, Central Oncology Review Division
Advarra
Moderator(s)
Panelist(s)
It is known that IRBs are not all the same. There seems to be variation in process, risk assessment, time to decision, and requirements for consent, to name a few areas. This variation has been cited as a reason to reform the IRB system and has driven calls for centralized IRB review. However, there is no real evidence or consensus about what the IRB process ought to be, what makes for an effective review, and how IRBs ought to be composed. Similarly, it is not clear when variability is problematic, or when it reflects sensitivity to local context or culture. As the field moves toward more centralized IRB review, it is essential to confront these questions. This panel will address these challenging issues and will incorporate expertise in group decision-making and process, as well as experienced IRB professionals and individuals who have studied IRB processes.