The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) has awarded the Advarra institutional review board (IRB) full reaccreditation. As part of the reaccreditation process, AAHRPP conducted its first-ever completely remote site visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Advarra.
The site visit resulted in no findings, and AAHRPP required no changes to the Advarra human subject protection program (HRPP) as a result. Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated this remote site visit, as the in-person visit originally planned was not an option.
"As we all have had to adapt to the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, AAHRPP has been heartened and impressed by the willingness of our organizations to participate in remote site evaluations," said Elyse Summers, president and CEO of AAHRPP. "Advarra was first and came through with flying colors."
"It's an honor to partner with AAHRPP on its first remote site visit," said Michele Russell-Einhorn, Institutional Official and Chief Compliance Officer at Advarra. "As a global company, virtual collaboration tools are a part of our regular workflows. We were honored to share our best practices and experience with AAHRPP and are delighted to have helped make the first remote site visit so successful."
AAHRPP accreditation is a voluntary step taken to demonstrate an organization's commitment to rigorous standards of quality, ethics, and protections for human research participants.