Review of Serious Adverse Events

IV.14

 

 

Review of Serious Adverse Events

 

 

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Objective

As part of its continuing review of research involving human subjects, the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) reviews reports of serious adverse events and unanticipated problems involving risks to participants or others, and this Policy/Procedure describes the process for reviewing them.

 

Policy/Procedure

I.        All serious adverse events and unanticipated problems to participants or others are submitted to the CPHS using the Internet Research Information System (iRIS) according to the following.

 

A.     The following require reporting to the CPHS within 10 working days of the Investigator’s knowledge of the problem which includes serious adverse events, injuries, side effects, or other problems occurring in the conduct of research governed by CPHS;

 

B.     Any event that in the Investigator’s opinion was unanticipated, involved risk to participants or others and was possibly related to the research procedures;

 

C.     Any event that requires prompt reporting to the sponsor in accordance with the protocol (e.g., serious adverse events);

 

D.     Any accidental or unintentional change to the CPHS-approved protocol that increases risk or decreases benefit, affects the participant’s rights, safety, welfare, or affects the integrity of the resultant data;

 

E.      Any deviation from the protocol taken without prior CPHS review except to avert or minimize an apparent immediate hazard to a research participant;

 

F.      Any publication in the literature, safety monitoring report including a Data and Safety Monitoring Report, interim result, or other finding that increases risk or decreases benefit, affects the participant’s rights, safety, welfare, or affects the integrity of the resultant data;

 

G.     Any adverse event that is both a serious adverse event and an unexpected adverse event, which in the Investigator’s opinion is more likely than not to be related to the research procedures, including but not limited to:

1.      Inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization in which there is a reasonable possibility that the experience may have been caused by the research;

2.      Unanticipated or life-threatening events;

3.      Persistent or significant disability/incapacity or permanent harm or disability (either physical or psychological);

4.      A breech in confidentiality that may involve risk to that individual or others;

5.      Events that jeopardize the subject and require medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of the outcomes listed above;

6.      Congenital anomaly/birth defect in the offspring of research participant

 

H.     Any complaint of a participant that indicates an unanticipated risk or which cannot be resolved by the research staff; and/or

 

I.        Unanticipated events that exceed the nature, severity, or frequency described in the protocol or the Investigator’s Brochure

 

J.       SAEs or deaths occurring within 30 days of a participant’s active participation or treatment must be reported to the CPHS.  SAEs or deaths that occur beyond 30 days after active participation or treatment may need to be reported if there is a guideline or more stringent reporting requirement set forth in the protocol or mandated by the sponsor, or if the PI chooses to report them for other reasons.

 

II.     All deaths must be reported to CPHS within 24 hours of knowledge of the event, followed by a full report in iRIS within 10 days.

 

III.   Only those events reported by the sponsor occurring at other sites that are serious, related and unanticipated must be reported to the CPHS.

 

IV.  The Clinical Research Monitor shall review the Serious Adverse or Unanticipated Event Report and shall determine if the report meets the criteria above and thus requires review by a CPHS member (Reviewer). 

 

A.     Those needing to be reviewed will be forwarded to the designated Reviewer who will evaluate the report via iRIS. The Reviewer may impose additional requirements including but not limited to the following:

1.      No action necessary;

2.      Complete review and approval of the study by the Full CPHS;

3.      Modification of the study;

4.      Modification of the consent process;

5.      Modification of the consent document;

6.      Providing additional information to current participants (e.g., whenever the information may relate to the participant’s willingness to continue participation or to their welfare);

7.      Providing additional information to past participants;

8.      Alteration of the frequency of continuing review;

9.      Requiring additional training of the PI or his/her research staff;

10.  Refer the study to the clinical research monitor to monitor the study and provide a follow-up report;

11.  Referral of the issue to the Panel Chairperson and/ or Executive Chairperson to consider suspension of the research pending a more thorough review (following Policy and Procedure 29 on suspensions and termination); or

12.  Referral of the issue to the full committee to consider termination of the study.

 

B.     Those not meeting the requirements to be reviewed by a CPHS member will be processed as “no action required” by the Clinical Research Monitor.

 

C.     The PI will be notified of the outcome via iRIS. 

1.      If the reviewer recommended or directed further action the PI is required to act upon that recommendation/directive in a timely fashion.

 

 

Applicable Regulations and Guidelines

21CFR 50 ( http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/21cfr50_04.html )

21CFR 56 ( http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/21cfr56_04.html )

38CFR 16 ( http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/38cfr16_04.html )

45CFR 46.103(b)(5) ( http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/45cfr46_04.html )

ICH E6 ( http://www.ich.org/MediaServer.jser?@_ID=482&@_MODE=GLB )

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Updated 5/2007, Report broken links