Case Reports: The clinical review of a single case report does not require review by the WH Low Risk Ethics Panel or notification to the Office for Research. However journal editors may require evidence of project approval prior to publication, if required please email the Office for Research to request formal notification of exemption.
Quality Assurance (QA) Projects: It is the aim of the Office for Research to encourage and facilitate the approval and conduct of QA projects. QA projects are essentially an evaluation or monitoring of a current service or practice with the aim of improving that service or practice. They may also be audits to identify and/or quantify the extent of a problem, practice or behaviour to gain knowledge that may then be used to improve a service or practice. Projects that seek to gain knowledge from monitoring and evaluating the introduction of a new practice/procedure may also fit the criteria of quality assurance. QA projects are reviewed out of session by one reviewing member of the WH Low Risk Ethics Panel.
Low Risk Research Projects
Western Health has established the WH Low Risk Ethics Panel to facilitate the review of low risk research projects. The Office for Research has moved to the online forms introduced by the Department of Health. Therefore the previously used application form has been replaced by the National Ethics Application Form (NEAF) available from the online forms website at https://ethicsform.org/au/SignIn.aspx and the Victorian Specific Module at http://www.health.vic.gov.au/cchre/applications/applications_victorian_specific.htm
Research projects that request a "wavier of consent", i.e. request to use, collect or disclose participant's data without their consent for the purpose of Research will be referred to the Melbourne Health HREC for their consideration.
High Risk Research Projects
Higher risk research projects are referred for full review to the Melbourne Health HREC. Melbourne Health submission details are available at Examples of projects considered higher risk would include the use of identifiable data in databanks, interventions or therapies, use of human genetic samples, participants unable to consent for themselves and research that may breach a National Privacy Principle.
Multi-Centre Research
Western Health is an accepting site for the Consultative Council for Human Research Ethics ( CCHRE).Please refer to the CCHRE website for details of the streamlined ethical review process established by the Department of Health. www.health.vic.gov.au/cchre . All projects reviewed under the multi-centre research umbrella are required to submit a Research Governance application (Site Specific Approval) to the Office for Research.
Research Governance (Site Specific Approval)
All Research requires Site Specific Approval before it can be conducted at Western Health. To attain this approval Researchers must submit a Research Governance application to the Office for Research. The Research Governance application is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator of the project. Please be aware that approval will not be granted until all relevant Governance matters are attended and The Research Governance Officer is satisfied that the Research is appropriate to be conducted at Western Health.