We’ve fielded this question during several recent product demonstrations and other interactions with prospective clients. The answer is, absolutely!
The InfoEd Human Subjects module can support virtually any type of IRB review, including both biomedical and SBR models. Flexible administrative configurations allow clients to set up multiple boards with appropriate submission types, application forms and review processes for each. When creating a new protocol, investigators merely need to select an SBR submission type to get on the right track. Electronic forms guide them to supply the right information and obtain the right signatures before the submission reaches the IRB office.
InfoEd’s flexible workflow engine can be used to customize the review portal screens used by IRB staff and board members. Biomedical and SBR users can have different system roles that allow them to see and do different things. In a purely SBR programs, screens the office doesn’t use can even be hidden entirely, without affecting any previously entered data. Client-defined agendas, minutes, letters and reports further reflect the unique needs of SBR review committees.
What about SBR researchers working with human subjects? After all, they have many of the same tracking needs as biomedical research teams. Although it may not be obvious given the name of the product, InfoEd’s Clinical Trials module can serve biomedical and SBR investigators equally well. As in the Human Subjects module, investigators conducting different types of research can be assigned user roles that reflect what they actually need to do in the system. A streamlined version of the study record allows SBR users to track their projects and subjects in the same system clinical researchers are using, without the distraction of medical and financial data collection areas that aren’t relevant to their work. Users who don’t work with identifiable participant information can be presented with an even flatter record for study tracking and document management only.
These same workflow setups allow for the creation and management of contextually appropriate user training and certifications in both modules. Other significant advantages of bringing SBR studies into the InfoEd system include centralized tracking of all research participants and integration with the Human Subjects module for IRB submissions and approval tracking.
