Research involving human subjects must be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure regulatory compliance and meet ethical standards. Typically, it is a cumbersome, paper-based process. Seeking to establish a common, efficient IRB process for its members, Health Sciences South Carolina led an initiative to unify and automate members’ IRB processes with a powerful, internet-based solution. Known as eIRB, it enables the electronic submission and review of human subject research studies. eIRB supports collaborative, multi-site studies among Health Sciences South Carolina members, a major advantage when attracting outside research funding and clinical research trials for pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Greenville Health System and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System are the first to go live with eIRB. Palmetto Health, the University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina have plans to implement eIRB in the near future.