subject protection

Comment Now! Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Studies Draft Guidance

09/27/2022

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a draft guidance “Ethical Considerations for Clinical Investigations of Medical Products Involving Children” in September 2022. The draft guidance clarifies the ethical principles for the conduct of pediatric clinical trials, including that children are a vulnerable population so additional safeguards are needed to ensure their safety. The safety of pediatric participants is covered under the FDA regulations 21 CFR part 50, subpart D, Additional Safeguards for Children in Clinical Investigations, and 45 CFR part 46, subpart D, Additional Protections for Children Involved as Subjects in Research.

OCR Guidance on Audio Only Telehealth

06/21/2022

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released “Guidance on How the HIPAA Rules Permit Covered Health Care Providers and Health Plans to Use Remote Communication Technologies for Audio-Only Telehealth” in June 2022, called “guidance on HIPAA and audio only telehealth” for clarity and brevity in this blog. This guidance clarifies how covered entities can provide audio only telehealth while complying with HIPAA Rules to protect the privacy and security of the participants or patients’ protected health information (PHI).

Insufficient Dosing to Vulnerable Population Within a Clinical Trial Leads to FDA Warning Letter

5/05/2021

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New Warning Letter Issued

A warning letter was issued to Dr. Evelyn Lopez-Brignomi, M.D. this March in regards to “objectionable conditions observed during an FDA inspection conducted at her clinical site between June 8 and June 23, 2020.” This study contained pediatric subjects who are a vulnerable population which raises concern about the severity of the violation and their potential impact on subjects’ rights, safety, and welfare.

Is it Really Consent? Considerations in Consenting COVID-19 Patients to Clinical Trials

8/11/2020

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During the pandemic, it has become evident that we must continue to consent COVID-19 patients into clinical trials as we work to discover treatment options and better understand other aspects of the disease. Because of isolation restrictions, it is more cumbersome for all involved to conduct the informed consent process as we are accustomed. The investigator or delegate is likely not permitted into the isolation room to discuss the aspects of the trial with the potential subject. This leads to barriers to their ability to see important facial features communicated during a conversation.