Clinical Research Ethics Committee

The University Dental Clinic (CUO) is not only the service that UIC Barcelona places at the disposal of Faculty of Dentistry students to carry out their clinical practice. It is also a space that brings together teaching and research, fostering knowledge transfer.

In recent years the CUO’s research output has grown, with a large number of clinical trials and other research projects. For these reasons, it has added an Ethical Committee for Clinical Research (CEIC), accredited by the Department of Health and Social Security of the Catalan Government, with the aim of evaluating research projects to ensure patients’ rights and ethics in research projects.

The CEIC is an independent body that ensures clinical trials are carried out properly, expressing an opinion on the trial protocol, the suitability of the researchers and facilities and on the methods and documents to be used to inform trial subjects (for example, informed consent).

The main responsibilities of the CEIC are:

• Evaluating the methodological, ethical and legal aspects of clinical trials.
• Evaluating important modifications in authorised clinical trials.
• Monitoring the trial, from the beginning to the issue of the final report.

Lastly, we must add that another of the objectives of the CEIC is to acquire knowledge about the validity and consistency of the research, in order to understand the world we live in, and contribute to making it a better place.