Within the Lifespan AMC environment, we propose to develop technical enhancements to our research administrative process and educational enhancements to the existing basic education program in the protection of human subjects in research. Technical enhancements will be made to the existing Access database program that serves all of the Lifespan AMC hospitals The Miriam Hospital, Bradley Hospital, and Rhode Island Hospital. These enhancements will augment the efficiency of the present IRB review system allowing the focus to shift from a manual process to an electronic process thereby improving efficiency and compliance of the IRB review process. Educational enhancements will focus on the development of an on-line web based continuing education curriculum that will be appropriate for researchers, IRB members and key personnel. Because of the close proximity of other community hospitals and the collaborative relationships of the research community among the community hospitals and the Lifespan hospitals, we intend to design the continuing education module so it will be available to all collaborating hospital researchers, thus offering a common educational program in the protection of humans in research.
