Q. What is the difference between delegated and full board review?
A. Proportionate Approach to Research Ethics Review:
“The selection of the level of REB review shall be determined by the level of foreseeable risks to participants: the lower the level of risk, the lower the level of scrutiny (delegated review); the higher the level of risk, the higher the level of scrutiny (full board review) (TCPS 2010, Article 6.12).
Full Board and Delegated Review:
The default review process is full review where a protocol is brought to a monthly REB meeting and reviewed by the entire board. The committee may decide, based on its deliberations, to approve the research, disallow the research, request further information or clarification from the researcher, or request changes. The researcher’s response to clarifications and revisions may be reviewed either by the Chair, or the committee may request to see the changes at their next meeting.
A delegated review only applies to research that is determined minimal risk and involves the REB delegating research ethics review to an individual from the REB membership or a subcommittee of the Board. Determining the level of review (full board or delegated review) involves an evaluation of the risk of the project.
Minimal risk research is defined as “research in which the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research is no greater than those encountered by the participant in those aspects of her or her everyday life that relate to the research” (TCPS 2010, p 23). Research is considered greater than minimal risk when the risks from the research are greater than participants would experience in their everyday life. The context of everyday life the key consideration but is very context specific.