Ensure your research meets standards of ethical conduct
You may need to apply for ethical approval from a relevant research ethics committee. In the UK, all research involving NHS patients or their records must be reviewed by the Integrated Research Application System.
All research involving people must address issues of: confidentiality, consent, privacy, avoidance of harm. Since 2001 all research undertaken in the NHS is subject to research governance.
Research Governance
Introduced by the Department of Health, research governance has been in place in the UK since 2001.
Research governance is for managers and staff at all levels and in all professional groups who are
- participating in research
- hosting research in their organisation
- funding research proposals or infrastructure
- managing research
- undertaking research
It involves
- establishing systems to monitor the quality of research and ensure the correct support and effective reporting mechanisms
- clearly understanding the planned project, its objectives, activities, timescale and its resource needs
For health and social care organisations, it also involves ensuring findings are disseminated across the institution.
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