The University Dental Clinic (CUO) is a service that UIC Barcelona places at the disposal of Faculty of Dentistry students so they can receive comprehensive training while undertaking their studies.
In recent years the CUO has seen its research grow based on a high number of clinical trials and other research projects. For these reasons, it incorporated an Ethical Committee for Clinical Research (CEIC), accredited by the Department of Health and Social Security in the Catalan Government, with the aim of evaluating research projects to ensure patients’ rights and ethics are respected in research.
On May 23, 2018, the CEIC was accredited to Drug Research Ethics Committee (CEIm), to be able to issue an opinion in clinical studies with medicines and in clinical research with medical devices (PS).
The CEIm is an independent body that ensures clinical trials are carried out properly, expresses an opinion on trial protocols, the suitability of researchers and facilities and of the methods and documents to be used to inform trial subjects and obtain their informed consent.
The main duties of the CEIm include:
- Evaluating the methodological, ethical and legal aspects of clinical trials.
- Evaluating important modifications to authorised clinical trials.
- Monitoring the trials, from the beginning through to receipt of the final report.
Finally, we must add that another of the objectives of the CEIm is to acquire knowledge about the validity and consistency of the research, in order to understand the world we live in, and if possible, ensure we can live in it in a better way.