Strengthening Oversight of Human Subjects Research

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Partners HealthCare was established in 1994 by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH). Since then, it has become one of the nation's leading integrated health care delivery systems, based on a mission that combines patient care with medical education and research. The original organization included BWH, MGH, McLean Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, five community health centers that were associated with MGH or BWH, mad a number of physician group practices. Since that time additional hospitals have joined with Partners. And in 1996, The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute formed a joint venture in adult oncology with MGH and BWH, named Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care. MGH and BWH have long been considered two of the country's top teaching hospitals and are major teaching sites for Harvard Medical School. The MGH and the BWH have consistently ranked as either the largest or second largest non-university based recipient of research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The McLean Hospital maintains the largest program of research in neuroscience and psychiatry of any private psychiatric hospital in the United States. The Partners Human Research Committee provides information to assist clinical investigators at BWH, MGH and other Partners institutions with preparation and submission of research protocols for approval to conduct human-subject research. The PHRC web site also provides investigators with information regarding its policies, procedures and regulations governing human-subject research. Over the past five years, Partners HealthCare System has invested in the development of an integrated research management system referred to as Research Express (or REX). This system integrates information from all functional units within research management, including grants and contracts, animal studies, and human studies. Partners is committed to strengthening the oversight of human subjects, and this short-term interim support will help to propel the continued enhancement of our integrated systems.