During this study, I will be in contact with other people in order to collect data through observation and semi structured interviews so ethical approval is needed. A level 2 application would be required since this is a primary study and data would be generated.
I had a look at the university´s website and having seen the application timelines ( up to 6 weeks) , I need to take this into consideration. I am not sure if I would also need to have an ethical approval in Barcelona, since the study would be conducted in Barcelona, Spain. I have tried to look at the ethical approvals which were obtained in other studies that were conducted here and I came accross the following entities: Healthcare ethics commitee (Comitè d’Ètica Assistencial – CEA) of the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospita and drug research ethical commitee (CEIm). There are forms that can be filled and sent so I would probably contact them in order to have further information.Before starting, I need to make sure that the participants understand the aim of the study. I will have to prepare a participant information leaflet, in Spanish and translated to the participants´ native language if necessary, I will also make sure to answer their questions and inform them that they can withdraw from the study at any time. If the participants are comfortable with this study, they will then be asked to sign a consent form or provide a verbal consent. Confidentiality and data protection are also important to consider so I will make sure not to include any personal data when collecting, analysing and reporting data. I also have to take into account any potential harm that can impact on both participants and myself. I am also an immigrant and I have already experienced some inequities before when accessing healthcare, so I can be easily moved when hearing about participants´ personal experiences.
Comments
Hi Mouna
Great to see your final blog posts!
You are right to allow yourself plenty of time to secure ethical approval from Edinburgh. I would also ask for their (i.e. speak to Sue Goophy) advice regarding what (if any) approval you would need from Barcelona. In the UK, approval from other organisations (i.e. in addition to University approval) is dependent on who (and how) we plan to recruit. For example, if I was conducting a study that required me to speak to patients using the UK health service then I would need to apply for health service permission. Likewise, if I was consulting with school children I would need approval from the local council. So think about how you will recruit your participants as this may influence what permissions you need.
It good to see your careful consideration of how you will endure you obtain informed consent and also the potential impact of the interview on the participant and also yourself. If you or the participant does become upset during the interview what strategies will you put in place to address this?
Best wishes
Fiona.