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<p>On the issue of payment to research subjects, what should be done if people drop out of the study?&nbsp;</p>

Should Subjects Who Drop Out of Studies Receive Compensation?

Bonus for completion OK if not undue inducement

October 1, 2018

On the issue of payment to research subjects, what should be done if people drop out of the study? FDA guidance recommends the following for IRBs:1

• Payment should not be contingent on completing the study and should accrue throughout the course of the study.

• Payment can be made at the end of the study to subjects who withdraw from the study.

• While such bonuses should not be undue inducements, a small proportion of payments can be offered as an incentive for subjects to complete a study.

• The IRB should determine whether a completion bonus is reasonable and not so great as to influence subjects who otherwise would have withdrawn.

REFERENCE

1. FDA. Payment and Reimbursement to Research Subjects - Information Sheet. Guidance for Institutional Review Boards and Clinical Investigators. Jan. 25, 2018. Available at: https://bit.ly/2slP3Ao.