Tasks of the Ethics Committee

The task of the Ethics Committee is to examine the ethical safety of research projects involving humans. In doing so, the protection of various areas must be ensured. In particular, the protection of the patient must be guaranteed, as well as the protection of the examining physician. However, the duty of care must also be complied with.

Protection of the patient
First and foremost, the interests and legal rights of the patient/test subject must be protected. Consent to participate in a study can only be given after detailed information has been provided ("informed consent"). This means that information must be provided about the exact study procedure and, if necessary, about randomization and alternative forms of treatment. Part of the patient information is also the information about any trial subject insurance.

Protection of the physician
In view of the many legal provisions and regulations that must be observed, advice from the ethics committee also protects the investigator from unintentionally violating regulations.

Duty of care
This obliges the institution (MHH) to avoid dangers that could arise from the activities of the institution, i.e. also from the conduct of clinical trials or research.
The Ethics Committee consists of fourteen members. These are confirmed by the Senate of Hannover Medical School for a period of 4 years. The committee usually meets every 4 weeks, with a deadline of 14 days before the respective meeting. The Ethics Committee is registered with the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Berlin under file number Z 14.06-A 1871-30724/98 in accordance with § 17 MPG.