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The recognition of non-accidental injury is critical for a pediatric
trauma patient. In the year 2000, almost 3 million reports of child
abuse were made to social service agencies. Forty-four percent of the
fatalities were children younger than 1 year of age. Not only are these
statistics alarming, but they point out the need for emergency
department and trauma physicians and nurses to recognize non-accidental
injury and aggressively protect the children who seek our medical
expertise and protection.
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The skyrocketing cost of medical malpractice insurance has affected physicians throughout the nation. Many emergency physicians (EPs) have seen the costs of insurance nearly double in the past three years. Some insurers have deemed EPs with three claims against them in a five-year period as uninsurable. This months ED Legal Letter will provide insight into the malpractice crisis by looking at the cause, effect, and potential solutions to the problem. Furthermore, it will review why past legislative attempts to remedy previous malpractice crises have failed.
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Recruiting students for research at universities and colleges is no longer as simple as having professors offer extra credit in exchange for participation. It has become an area that has created controversy within institutions and IRBs.
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IRBs located in universities might find themselves inundated with low-risk protocols if they reviewed every single study proposed by college students working on their graduate papers. On the other hand, it would be poor policy and possibly provide risk to human subjects if these studies were routinely ignored.
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One of the challenges in clinical trial operations is to recruit patients to participate. The Food and Drug Administration notes that recruitment methods and material also should be reviewed as a part of the IRB oversight function.
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Nonaffiliated and nonscientist members of IRBs the so-called lay or community members say they need more introductory education and ongoing training to better meet the challenges of their roles.
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College student populations may offer a plentiful and accessible source for human subjects research, but IRB and university research officials say that a variety of issues arise when students are used.
