Our Accomplishments

The Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) initiative to unify and automate institutional review board (IRB) processes with a powerful, internet-based solution called e-IRB has achieved a significant milestone. Four HSSC partners - Greenville Health System (GHS), Palmetto Health Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and the University of South Carolina (USC) - are now live on e-IRB. More than 1,000 researchers and staff are using the statewide system.

Institutional review boards must review and approve any research study involving human participants. Traditionally, reviewers rely on paper-based processes, which are slow and cumbersome.

HSSC’s e-IRB system accelerates the review process and also makes research projects between member organizations easier to conduct and manage, while making them safe for patients. The system also makes South Carolina more attractive when competing for millions in government-sponsored research funding as well as commercial clinical trials.

MUSC will begin using the HSSC e-IRB in 2010. Clemson University researchers are involved through GHS clinical trials.