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KMID : 1142820230070010085
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Bio, Ethics and Policy
2023 Volume.7 No. 1 p.85 ~ p.114
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A Review on Lay Members in Institutional Bioethics Committees (IRBs): Focusing on Public Participation and Capacity Enhancement in IRB Deliberations
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Chung Eun-Joo
Choi Eun-Kyung
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Abstract
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Today’s science and technology communication is expanding into a ‘participatory model’ based on the co-production of knowledge by experts and the public. Such movement is in line with the ‘Open Science activity’, which aims to make scientific research and its dissemination accessible to all levels of society, amateur and professional individuals as well as ‘citizen science’ wherein scientific research is aided by the voluntary public. In this respect, the Institutional Bioethics Committee (IRB) can be considered as a democratic deliberative body based on consensus decision-making among expert and non-expert members, serving as a committee, which deliberates on the scientific and ethical validities of research protocols and manages the research process within the institution. The Bioethics and Safety Act stipulates that the organization and operation of institutional committees shall include at least one person with sufficient experience and knowledge to evaluate social and ethical validity (so-called non-scientific member) and at least one person from outside of the relevant institution (non-affiliated member). This approach is interpreted as a measure to project the public’s point of view as well as to ensure the research subjects’ welfare, rights, and protection to the committee during review process. The majority of IRBs constitute of non-scientific and/or non-affiliated members among representatives of different religions, ethical and judicial circles, the majority of whom are recruited through recommendations or personal connections. Therefore, the non-scientific member pool is limited, and often duplicated within institutions. Accordingly, this study reviewed the background of those who provide views of the public (i.e., non-scientific members or lay members) within IRBs, the composition of membership, qualification standards, and functions of non-scientific and/or lay members in different countries. Based on the examination, areas to be considered in terms of fostering more meaningful public participation through non-scientific members (lay members) in the IRB deliberation were suggested.
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KEYWORD
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Institutional Bioethics Committee(IRB), lay member, social and ethical validity, non-scientific member, non-affiliated member
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