المملكة: Adopting the first national program to protect researchers

Promote scientific research ethics

The beginning of what is the motive behind the institute’s launch of this initiative? What are its most prominent goals?
The Kingdom is taking advanced steps in promoting scientific research ethics, and this initiative comes in this context, as the National Institute for Health Research launched a leading national initiative aimed at adopting the HUMAN RESEARCICIPANTS Protections Protects Programs – HRPP.
The goal of this step is to enhance societal confidence in scientific research, ensure respect for basic rights and the safety of all individuals who participate in medical and scientific studies.
This initiative is not limited to procedural aspects such as evaluation of projects or the formation of ethical committees, but rather extends to the adoption of a comprehensive institutional vision that establishes moral culture at all levels of research work, and places human protection at the heart of the research process.

D. Ghayath Hassan Al -Ahmad

What are the most prominent results of this initiative so far?
The first results of this initiative were evident in the adoption of the King Abdullah Medical City program in Makkah, to become the first party in the Kingdom to obtain this advanced accreditation, and it presents a role model in the institutional moral governance of scientific research.
What is meant by the program to protect the participants in research? What distinguishes him from traditional moral committees?
The program of protection in research is an integrated institutional system adopted by health and research authorities to ensure the preservation of the rights, dignity and safety of individuals who participate in studies, especially those that contain medical or psychological interventions or require collecting personal and sensitive information.
The program is characterized by the fact that it transcends the traditional role played by research ethics committees, as it extends to include the development of clear organizational policies and procedures, and the implementation of continuous training programs for researchers and workers, in addition to activating effective mechanisms for reporting and monitoring, and strengthening the channels of interaction with society and subscribers themselves.
This approach is an advanced awareness that the protection of subscribers is not limited to a formal procedure to obtain moral approval, but rather a continuous institutional responsibility, which requires a systematic commitment that guarantees permanent compliance with moral values and principles at each stage of scientific research.

How important is there to be an institutional dependence on these programs?
The institutional accreditation of research subscribers protection programs is an official confirmation of the research authority’s commitment to the highest standards of integrity, transparency and respect for human rights.
The importance of relying on the symbolic framework is not limited, but its practical effects are reflected in several fundamental aspects, most notably the advancement of the quality of research and improving its scientific outputs, enhancing society’s confidence in the research authority, and reassuring the subscribers that their rights are reserved within a firm institutional system.
Dependence also contributes to enabling institutions to create international research partnerships, and opens up new horizons for external financing and support, as well as its role in consolidating a disciplined institutional environment that takes into account the moral aspects of all stages of research work.
What role does the National Institute of Health Research play in this initiative?
The National Institute of Health Research plays a pivotal role in leading the path of adopting the protection programs for subscribers in research at the Kingdom level, as the organizational and capable authority of this national initiative.
The institute has adopted a strategic vision aimed at building an integrated ethical system that governs scientific research, and ensures the protection of its subscribers within a sustainable institutional framework.
The institute’s efforts include preparing national standards based on international best practices, and providing technical and directive support to the bodies wishing to develop their programs, as well as implementing accurate evaluation operations that include reviewing documents and field visits.
The role of the institute is not limited to granting accreditation, but extends to the follow -up of the performance of the programs after its approval, and promoting continuous improvement, in a manner that ensures the consolidation of the culture of research ethics in health and academic institutions in the Kingdom.

From your point of view, what are the most prominent success factors that support this project?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has fundamental factors that ensure the success of the project to adopt the protection programs for subscribers in research, which is a strategic national project with distinction, and comes within the framework of strengthening a safe and moral research environment according to the highest international standards.
Among the most prominent factors of success is the existence of a serious national desire to have a comprehensive health transformation, as the development of the health sector is one of the main axes of the Saudi vision 2030, and this requires building an integrated and reliable research system characterized by quality, transparency and protection of rights.
The project also enjoys institutional support from the regulatory and health authorities, and is based on specialized national experiences, and a advanced research infrastructure in many academic institutions and medical centers, which enhances the opportunities for proper and effective application.
The increasing desire of health and academic authorities to obtain national and international credits is another catalyst, which is pushing towards improving practices and adopting programs that protect participants and strengthen reliability.

Accreditation criteria

What are the accreditation criteria and requirements that the bodies should adhere to?
The parties seeking to obtain the approval of the Procraivardic Procraivardization Program in Research, a precise evaluation process that takes into account the integration of their moral system.
This requires the availability of a number of basic ingredients, the most prominent of which is the presence of an independent and effective committee for research ethics that reviews protocols and ensures their commitment to moral standards, and provides written and published policies and procedures that organize all stages of research from planning to implementation and follow -up.
Researchers and supporters are also required for regular training in moral principles and proper practices, and to activate clear and transparent mechanisms that allow subscribers or workers to report any complaints or possible violations. To ensure continuity and improvement, there must be internal monitoring and review systems that enable the authority to evaluate and develop its performance in accordance with best practices.
What about the experience of King Abdullah Medical City? How do you evaluate it?
The experience of King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah was a national model to be followed in the field of adopting protection programs for subscribers in research, as the city was able to successfully complete all the stages of institutional evaluation, and obtain the first official accreditation from the National Institute for Health Research in this field at the Kingdom level. This experience was distinguished by building a clear institutional structure, activating organizational policies and procedures related to the protection of subscribers, as well as the implementation of comprehensive training programs targeting researchers and supportive cadres.
The city was also keen to activate channels that communicate directly with the research subscribers, allowing them to understand their rights and disclose any concerns or inquiries.
This accreditation came as a culmination of accumulated efforts made by the city for years, and is a detailed step in establishing an institutional model based on responsibility and moral commitment.
How does the institute see the future of this initiative in light of the Saudi Vision 2030?
The project to adopt subscriber protection programs is a strategic step in harmony with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to build a pioneering research and innovation sector, characterized by quality, integrity, and global competitiveness. This project reflects the Kingdom’s direction towards settling the best international standards, and providing a role model in the field of research ethics, through institutions capable of protecting human beings and maintaining its dignity in all circumstances.
Also, this initiative embodies an actual response to the aspirations of society in the research in which its members participate is surrounded by the utmost protection and transparency, away from any possibility of exploitation or damage. This step is expected to be an incentive for the rest of the health and academic facilities in the Kingdom to develop its moral programs and participate in the course of accreditation, in a way that contributes to building an integrated national system for the ethics of scientific research.

Academic message

What is your final message to academic and research institutions in the Kingdom?
The adoption of protection programs for subscribers in research represents a strategic turning point in the course of the development of scientific research in the Kingdom, not only in terms of adhering to the standards, but as a practical expression of respect for man and upholding ethics in all stages of research work.
With the launch of the National Institute for Health Research for this national initiative, and the success of the first experiments in King Abdullah Medical City, the opportunity has become prepared for other research institutions in the health and academic sectors to build integrated protection systems that reflect institutional maturity and national commitment.
The next stage requires a conscious partnership between the regulatory authorities, research institutions and scientific cadres, in order to consolidate a new culture that sees the protection of subscribers a fundamental, not marginal responsibility, and an authentic condition that is not organizational luxury. Societies in scientific research are not granted automatically, but rather are gained through seriousness, commitment, and sincere respect for human rights.