Non-medical Members and their Roles in the Ethical Review Committee

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25500004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bioethics
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (2015-2016); Osaka University (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: SETOYAMA KOICHI 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00379075)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 医学研究 / 倫理審査委員会 / 非医学系委員 / 一般市民

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, questionnaires were conducted on the Ethical Review Committee members of 80 medical universities and 117 hospitals in Japan which have more than 500 beds. Questionnaire regarding the “non-medical members” of the committee, such as experts in humanities and social sciences (e.g. ethics and law), and lay persons were conducted. 362 valid anonymous respondents were collected. The result of the questionnaire show a tendency of recruitment of the non-medical members: lawyers and legal scholars were popular among the experts of non-medical members. Also the expected roles and characteristics of each category of non-medical members were identified. Furthermore, present issues and problems of the non-medical members were clarified. Interviews with the professionals concerning Ethical Review Committees in the USA are conducted. An open seminar was held. Achievements of our research activities were presented at the workshop of the academic conferences.

Free Research Field

生命倫理学、法学、