University Of Illinois At Chicago Acknowledged Failure To Catch Warnings Signs Over Child Psychiatrist Who Violated Research Protocols
According to new documents, the University of Illinois at Chicago Institutional Review Board, the committee responsible for protecting research subjects, improperly fast-tracked approval of Dr. Mani Pavuluri’s clinical trial, didn’t catch serious omissions from the consent forms parents had to sign and allowed children to enroll in the study even though they weren’t eligible. Still, UIC officials have continued to blame only Pavuluri, and have downplayed the institution's role in the research.
ProPublica:
University Of Illinois At Chicago Missed Warning Signs Of Research Going Awry, Letters Show
For a year, the University of Illinois at Chicago has downplayed its shortcomings in overseeing the work of a prominent child psychiatrist who violated research protocols and put vulnerable children with bipolar disorder at risk. But documents newly obtained by ProPublica Illinois show that UIC acknowledged to federal officials that it had missed several warning signs that Dr. Mani Pavuluri’s clinical trial on lithium had gone off track, eventually requiring the university to pay an unprecedented $3.1 million penalty to the federal government. (Cohen, 3/20)
In other news —
Modern Healthcare:
Psychiatric Facilities Spend $1.7 Billion Complying With Regulations
Inpatient psychiatric facilities across the country face $1.7 billion a year in compliance costs stemming from outdated regulations and inconsistent surveys from private and state agencies, according to a new industry report released Tuesday. The biggest driver of regulatory costs for facilities is meeting requirements to lower ligature-risk points, which are areas where a patient can try to strangle themselves. (King, 3/19)
