Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Say it: in-sti-TOO-shun-ul re-VIEW board
An independent ethics committee that reviews a trial to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of the people in it.
An Institutional Review Board — or IRB — is a group of doctors, scientists, and community members whose whole job is to look out for the people in a study. In the United States, a trial involving patients cannot open until an IRB has reviewed its plan and agreed that the possible benefits are worth the risks and that participants will be treated fairly and honestly.
The IRB keeps watching after the trial starts, too. If new information suggests a study is no longer safe or worthwhile, the IRB can require changes or stop it. When you see that a trial has IRB oversight, it’s a sign the trial takes your safety seriously.
Related words