Analysis on Protocol Violation in Pediatric Clinical Trials and Its Countermeasures / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

By collecting 475 protocol violation reports of pediatric clinical trials accepted by the ethics committee of a grade A tertiary hospital from January 2016 to December 2022, and conducting classification statistics of the responsible body, types of violation, and natures of violation, this paper analyzed and discussed the specific reasons and response measures for protocol violation. The results showed that the most common types of protocol violation included missed medication and incorrect medication dosage for pediatric research participants, missed laboratory inspection, over-windowed follow-up, and non-compliance with inclusion/exclusion criteria. And the responsibility bodies were pediatric research participants and/or their guardians, followed by the researchers. Besides, the sponsor, clinical trial coordinator, and other factors also contributed to protocol violation. Establishing awareness of responsible body, emphasizing subject management, building sound quality control system, and strengthening ethical supervision are the main countermeasures to prevent and reduce protocol violation in pediatric clinical trials, which helps to protect the safety and rights of pediatric research participants and promote standardized research in pediatric clinical trials.