Awareness among Teaching Faculty about Ethics Committees in a Medical College of Kolkata: An Observational Study.

ABSTRACT

Background: An observational cross sectional study was performed to assess the overall knowledge of the respondent about both clinical and animal research ethics committees. Objective: To study the perceptions amongst the medical teaching faculty regarding types, composition, roles and responsibilities of both institutional clinical and animal research ethics committees. Methods: After prior approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), a standardized audit-based pre-validated close-ended questionnaire was supplied to the willing faculty within the Medical College premises, who instantaneously filled-up the questionnaire and returned it to the investigator. The questionnaire consisted of 20 closeended questions, 10 each regarding animal and clinical research ECs. The results were statistically analyzed to assess the awareness and knowledge of medical teaching faculty about institutional ethics committees. Results: 87 faculty were approached of whom, 70 consented to participate. Out of a total of 20 questions, mean of questions answered correctly was 11.87 ± 2.32 (Mean and Standard deviation). When the faculty were grouped as per their designation, the mean scores were (11.33 ± 2.33) for the Assistant Professors, (12.86 ± 2.41) for the Associate Professors, (11.0 ± 02.6) for Professors, (13.17 ± 1.94) for Senior residents and (12.35 ± 2) for Tutors. The difference between the groups were not statistically significant.Conclusion: The overall quality of knowledge and awareness regarding details pertaining to the structure and functioning of IECs were sub-par when compared to results of similar studies done elsewhere.