Respondent types and Ethics Approval
Market research may be carried out with a broad range of respondent types including patients. The sample of respondents must always be appropriate for the research objectives
Market research (even that involving patients – for example patient diary studies) does not require Research Ethics Committee (REC) approval because it falls outside the remit of the Research Governance Framework (RGF)
- This has been confirmed in discussions with the NHS R&D Forum – market research as defined within the BHBIA’s Guidelines, does not require REC approval
The ‘Governance arrangements for research ethics committees: 2020 edition’ published by the Health & Care Research Wales, Health & Social Care Northern Ireland, NHS Health Research Authority England, NHS Research Scotland, state that
2.3.15 Market research may be undertaken by professional market researchers, e.g. for public health research or on behalf of pharmaceutical or medical device companies. Where such research is conducted by professional market researchers in accordance with the principles set out in the Market Research Society Code of Conduct or with the Legal and Ethical Guidelines issued by the British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association (BHBIA), it does not require REC review, except where otherwise required by law, e.g. if it requires approval under the Mental Capacity Acts.