Staff Services / Research Ethics / Research Ethics Board / Research Quality Audits

Unity Health Toronto has initiated Research Quality Audits (RQA) with the goal of assuring the conduct of quality research, the protection of research participants and the promotion of continuous quality improvement.

The objectives of the Research Quality Audit are to ensure that the rights, safety, well-being and confidentiality of research participants are protected; to assure that the study data and reported results are credible and reliable; to verify compliance with the study protocol, standard operating procedures and all applicable regulations and guidelines; to provide recommendations for quality improvement and to highlight best practices and areas of excellence.

There are four types of audits.

• Routine: These audits are prioritized based on a risk assessment using pre-defined criteria.
• For-cause: These audits may be requested by the REB in response to a complaint.
• Directed: These audits review a specific area in the conduct of the research study i.e., observation of the informed consent process, review of research privacy practices.
• PI-Requested: A Unity Health Lead Applicant may request a routine research quality audit i.e., to aid in the training of new research personnel.

If you would like more information about the Research Quality Audit process, please contact:

Andrea Chiu

Senior Research Compliance and Education Specialist
Telephone: (416) 864-6060, ext. 47895
Email: Andrea.Chiu@unityhealth.to