Return of Individual Research Results Ethics and The Common Rule

Introduction:

On April 2, 2020, Peter Schwartz, MD, PhD, gave a presentation entitled "Return of Individual Research Results: Ethics and the Common Rule." In this talk, Dr. Schwartz talks about return of individual research results and the ethics of the Common Rule. There is a sharp line between healthcare and research: they have different goals and carry different responsibilities. Recent changes, however, have led to a blurring of the line between the two. Updates to the Common Rule (2016) require researchers to disclose which study findings, if any, will be returned to participants, and under what conditions. Furthermore, advances in genetic testing make it easier and less expensive to obtain results that could be used by participants to guide healthcare decisions. IRBs are having to deal with the evolving landscape of ethical research regarding return of research findings and their potential impact on patients' healthcare. Dr. Schwartz has been working with Amy Waltz and Sandy Prucka to update IRB guidelines for researchers regarding what type of information needs to be returned to participants. Stay until the end to see a guest appearance from IUCB Founding Director Dr. Eric Meslin!