What is the primary function of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

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The main idea being tested is ethical oversight of research involving people. An Institutional Review Board is the body that protects participants by reviewing proposed studies to make sure they treat people ethically and safely. This means the IRB checks that risks to participants are minimized and reasonable compared with potential benefits, that selecting who participates is fair, and that the informed consent process clearly explains what will happen to them and respects their autonomy. The IRB also reviews how privacy and data protection will be handled and ensures ongoing monitoring of the study to catch any new risks.

Based on this review, the IRB can approve the study, require changes to procedures or consent documents, or disapprove the study before it begins, and it keeps an eye on ongoing research. Those responsibilities are distinct from administrative tasks like budgeting, physician credentialing, or scheduling patients, which are handled by other parts of the health system.