Development of an Accessible Self-Assessment Tool for Research Ethics Committees in Developing Countries

Hany SleemNational Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Egypt, Rehab Abdelhai Ahmed AbdelhaiCairo University, Egypt, Imad Al-AbdallatJordan University, Jordan, Mohammed Al-NaifKing Saud University, Saudi Arabia, Hala Mansour GabrNational Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Egypt, Et-Taher KehilInfectious Disease Department, Central Tripoli Hospital, Libya, Bakr Bin SadiqKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia, Reham YousriCairo University, Egypt, Dyaeldin ElsayedAlzaiem Alazhari University, Sudan, Suad SulaimanThe Nile Collage, Sudan, Henry SilvermanUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine, USA

Rehab Abdelhai Ahmed Abdelhai is Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Her major interests include investigating issues involving women & reproductive health. She received funding to develop a distance-learning course in this area. She also has interests in research ethics; she has developed curriculum in research ethics and interacts with the Research Ethics Committee at Cairo University. She helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Imad Al-Abdallat is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Division at Jordan University, Jordan. His major interests involve the investigation of the effects of abused drugs on the general health of the population. He is a member of the Research Ethics Committee at his institution. He helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Mohammed Al-Naif is Assistant Professor in the Health Services Administration Program, Department of Community Health Sciences at the College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, and he is also Dean of the College of Nursing, King Saud University. He is active in teaching efforts, one of his courses being “Legal, Ethical, and Social Aspects of Health Informatics.” He is also a member of the Standing Committee for setting the standards and regulation for health specialties for accreditation of health programs and higher educational institutions. He is a member of the Research Ethics Committee at his institution. He helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Hala Mansour Gabr earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Cairo University. She is active in the teaching of Good Clinical Practices to investigators and research coordinators. She is one of the lead Research Coordinators at the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt. She helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Et-taher Kehil works at the Infectious Disease Department in the Central Tripoli Hospital. He helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Bakr Bin Sadiq is Deputy Chief of the Research Center and Senior Scientist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He teaches epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology. He is a member of the Research Ethics Committee at his institution. He helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Hany Sleem is a practicing physician in the Andrology Department at Cairo University and at the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Egypt. He is Chair of the Research Ethics Committee at the NHTMRI and is co-coordinator of the Egyptian Network of Research Ethics Committees. He contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool and reviewed the manuscript.

Reham Yousri is Assistant Lecturer in the Public Health Department at Cairo University where she teaches undergraduate students. She has done many field investigations in the area of public health. She helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.

Dyaeldin Elsayed is Associate Professor at the Department of Community Medicine at Al Zaiem Al Azhari University (AAU) in Khartoum, Sudan, where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate students. During his tenure, Dr. Elsayed helped establish an Ethics Review Committee, and he currently serves on the National Ethics Review Committee, which was formed in 2001. Dr. Elsayed earned his diploma of Medicine and Surgery at the Medical Institute in Kiev, in the former USSR, and an M.D. in Community Medicine at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. He reviewed the self-assessment tool and gave valuable input in its development.

Suad Sulaiman is Professor of Parasitology at The Nile College in Omdurman, Sudan. She is an active researcher and member of the National Ethics Review Committee. She teaches postgraduate courses on research ethics and research methodology and contributed to developing the guidelines for research ethics at the Research Directorate, Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan. She reviewed the self-assessment tool and gave valuable input in its development.

Henry Silverman is Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA. He is Chair of the hospital's Clinical Ethics Committee and is Program Director of the Middle East Research Ethics Training Initiative (MERETI) sponsored by the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health. He helped conceptualize the focus of this paper, contributed to the development of the self-assessment tool, and reviewed the manuscript.