Background: With the global proliferation of the novel COVID-19 disease, conventionally conducting institutional review board (IRB) meetings has become a difficult task. Amid concerns about the suspension of drug development due to delays within IRBs, it has been suggested that IRB meetings should be temporarily conducted via the internet. Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the current status of IRB meetings conducted through web conference systems. Methods: A survey on conducting IRB meetings through web conference systems was administered to Japanese national university hospitals. Respondents were in charge of operating IRB offices at different universities. This study was not a randomized controlled trial. Results: The survey was performed at 42 facilities between the end of May and early June, 2020, immediately after the state of emergency was lifted in Japan. The survey yielded a response rate of 74% (31/42). Additionally, while 68% (21/31) of facilities introduced web conference systems for IRB meetings, 13% (4/31) of the surveyed facilities postponed IRB meetings. Therefore, we conducted a further survey of 21 facilities that implemented web conference systems for IRB meetings. According to 71% (15/21) of the respondents, there was no financial burden for implementing these systems, as they were free of charge. In 90% (19/21) of the facilities, IRB meetings through web conference systems were already being conducted with personal electronic devices. Furthermore, in 48% (10/21) of facilities, a web conference system was used in conjunction with face-to-face meetings. Conclusions: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reviews in clinical trial core hospitals has decreased. This suggests that the development of pharmaceuticals has stagnated because of COVID-19. According to 71% (15/21) of the respondents who conducted IRB meetings through web conference systems, the cost of introducing such meetings was US $0, showing a negligible financial burden. Moreover, it was shown that online deliberations could be carried out in the same manner as face-to-face meetings, as 86% (18/21) of facilities stated that the number of comments made by board members did not change. To improve the quality of IRB meetings conducted through web conference systems, it is necessary to further examine camera use and the content displayed on members’ screens during meetings. Further examination of all members who use web conference systems is required. Our measures for addressing the requests and problems identified in our study could potentially be considered protocols for future IRB meetings, when the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and face-to-face meetings are possible again. This study also highlights the importance of developing web conference systems for IRB meetings to respond to future unforeseen pandemics.

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中文翻译：

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在COVID-19大流行期间，日本国立大学医院通过网络会议系统进行的机构审查委员会会议的现状：问卷调查

背景：随着新型COVID-19疾病的全球扩散，按惯例召开机构审查委员会（IRB）会议已成为一项艰巨的任务。在人们对由于内部评级委员会的延误而导致药物开发暂停的担忧中，有人建议，内部评级委员会的会议应通过互联网临时举行。目的：本研究旨在阐明通过网络会议系统进行的IRB会议的现状。方法：向日本国立大学医院进行了有关通过网络会议系统进行IRB会议的调查。受访者负责在不同大学开设IRB办公室。该研究不是随机对照试验。结果：这项调查是在2020年5月底至6月初之间在42家工厂进行的，在日本解除紧急状态后，立即。该调查的回应率为74％（31/42）。此外，尽管68％（21/31）的设施为IRB会议引入了网络会议系统，但接受调查的设施中有13％（4/31）推迟了IRB会议。因此，我们对21个实施了IRB会议网络会议系统的设施进行了进一步调查。根据71％（15/21）的受访者所说，实施这些系统没有财务负担，因为它们是免费的。在90％（19/21）的设施中，通过Web会议系统进行的IRB会议已经在使用个人电子设备进行。此外，在48％（10/21）的设施中，网络会议系统与面对面会议结合使用。结论：由于COVID-19大流行，临床试验核心医院的评论数量有所减少。这表明由于COVID-19，药物的发展停滞了。根据通过网络会议系统召开IRB会议的受访者中有71％（15/21）表示，引入此类会议的成本为0美元，财务负担可忽略不计。此外，据显示，在线讨论可以以与面对面会议相同的方式进行，因为86％（18/21）的机构表示董事会成员的评论数量没有变化。为了提高通过Web会议系统进行的IRB会议的质量，有必要在会议期间进一步检查摄像头的使用情况以及成员屏幕上显示的内容。需要对使用Web会议系统的所有成员进行进一步检查。当COVID-19大流行已经过去并且再次有可能召开面对面会议时，我们用于解决研究中发现的要求和问题的措施可能会被视为未来IRB会议的协议。这项研究还强调了为IRB会议开发网络会议系统以应对未来不可预见的流行病的重要性。

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