Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Oct 2024
The role of institutional ethics committees in Austria : Report of the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity of the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences 2018-2023.
Research involving human subjects or identifiable human material and data must be assessed by an ethics committee. The Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences has established a Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity to evaluate medical research conducted by its faculty and students and at its affiliated hospitals. All projects submitted to the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity between 2018 and 2023 were analyzed regarding their major characteristics, the duration of the evaluation process, and votes issued. ⋯ Our results emphasize the importance of institutional ethics committees using the example of the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity at the Karl Landsteiner University. Such committees fill a gap in evaluating research not covered by Austrian legal regulations. Continuous development of standards, operating procedures, and national and international collaborations are required to assess and minimize risks to trial subjects and to provide a safe and productive environment for research in human medicine and related fields.