Table 2.
Characteristics of participating ethics committees and chairs
| |
Canada |
United States |
United Kingdom |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 60) | (N = 86) | (N = 43) | (N = 189) | |
| Response rate |
39.2% (60/153) |
32.3% (86/266) |
35.0% (43/123) |
34.9% (189/542) |
|
Ethics committee characteristics | ||||
|
Year established |
|
|
|
|
| <1990 |
23 (42.6)a |
66 (84.6) |
10 (27.0) |
99 (58.6) |
| 1990 to 1999 |
14 (25.9) |
9 (11.5) |
13 (35.1) |
36 (21.3) |
| > = 2000 |
17 (31.5) |
3 (3.9) |
14 (37.8) |
34 (20.1) |
| # Protocols/month (Median, Q1-Q3) |
5 (3 to 20) |
30 (10 to 60) |
8 (7 to 8) |
10 (5 to 37.5) |
|
Type of committeeb |
|
|
|
|
| University |
18 (30.0) |
49 (57.0) |
8 (18.6) |
75 (39.7) |
| Hospital/healthcare |
41 (68.3) |
41 (47.7) |
- |
82 (56.2) |
| National Research Ethics Service |
- |
- |
31 (72.1) |
31 (16.0) |
| Other nonprofit |
2 (3.33) |
9 (10.5) |
0 |
11 (5.8) |
| Other for-profit |
5 (8.3) |
2 (2.3) |
0 |
7 (3.7) |
|
Number of CRTs /year |
|
|
|
|
| None |
18 (32.7) |
3 (8.1) |
27 (34.6) |
48 (28.2) |
| 1 to 5 |
35 (63.6) |
28 (75.7) |
38 (48.7) |
101 (59.4) |
| >5 |
2 (3.6) |
6 (16.2) |
13 (16.7) |
21 (12.3) |
| Have guidelines in place for CRTs |
0 |
3 (3.8) |
0 |
3 (1.7) |
| Aware of guidelines for CRTs |
1 (1.8) |
3 (3.8) |
4 (10.8) |
8 (4.7) |
|
Ethics Chair characteristics | ||||
|
Years experience as chair |
|
|
|
|
| <2 |
9 (16.4) |
12 (15.2) |
9 (24.3) |
30 (17.5) |
| 2 to 5 |
27 (49.1) |
28 (35.4) |
12 (32.4) |
67 (39.2) |
| >5 |
19 (34.5) |
39 (49.3) |
16 (43.2) |
74 (43.3) |
|
Years experience as member |
|
|
|
|
| <6 |
26 (47.3) |
24 (30.4) |
13 (35.1) |
63 (36.8) |
| 6 to 10 |
18 (32.7) |
21 (26.6) |
16 (43.2) |
55 (32.2) |
| >10 |
11 (20.0) |
34 (43.0) |
8 (21.6) |
53 (31.0) |
|
Highest degreesc |
|
|
|
|
| Doctorate |
24 (43.6) |
36 (45.0) |
17 (46.0) |
77 (44.8) |
| Medical |
23 (41.8) |
43 (53.8) |
13 (35.1) |
79 (45.9) |
| Masters |
16 (29.1) |
10 (12.5) |
11 (29.7) |
37 (21.5) |
| Undergraduate | 4 (7.3) | 4 (10.8) | 2 (2.5) | 10 (5.8) |
a Table entries represent number (%) unless otherwise indicated.
bA committee can be classified as more than one type.
cA chair can indicate more than one degree.
CRT, cluster randomized trial.