The Purpose, Composition, and Function of an Institutional Review Board, Coursework Example

My proposed intervention deals with reversing type 2 diabetes in obese African American women from 40 to 50 years of age through the use of the Look AHEAD intervention program. Since I will be working with human participants, it is necessary that I provide them with informed consent documentation in order to ensure that the study remains ethical. This plan should provide sufficient detail of the project in terms of their involvement, including how frequently they will need to participate in the intervention in addition to knowledge pertaining to expected outcomes (Enfield et al. 2008). Furthermore, all participants should be made aware that they are able to withdraw from the study at any time.

Despite this ethical consideration, it is likely that if this research were to be submitted to the Institutional Review Board for approval, it would receive exempt status (Pope, 2009). This is because this research deals primarily with observing and surveying individuals in an intervention program already approved for similar treatments and there is no potential for harm to participants. However, it would be necessary to include all details of the study in the IRB proposal so that this decision could be made by the board with a thorough understanding of the project. A failure to do so would be considered unethical.

To ensure that all participants will receive benefit from participating, they will be provided their individual study results when it is clinically relevant. In addition, they will be provided with the results of the full study so they are more aware of the implications of these findings. Participants will also be provided with the contact information of the researcher so that they are able to ask any questions should they arise. All questions will be answered in a timely manner to ensure that the participants remain happy and comfortable.

References

Enfield, K. B. &Truwit, J. D. (2008). The Purpose, Composition, and Function of an Institutional Review Board: Balancing Priorities. Respiratory Care, 53: 1330-1336.

Pope, T. M. (2009). Multi-Institutional Healthcare Ethics Committees: The Procedurally Fair Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanism. Campbell Law Review, 31.