Research governance

Protecting the quality and integrity of research

Strong, safe, and effective research depends on more than approving a study and letting it run. At Mediclinic Middle East, oversight continues from the point a study is proposed through to the way it is delivered in practice.

Before research begins, the Research Ethics Committee (REC) reviews each project to consider whether it is ethically appropriate, scientifically sound, and designed with participant safety in mind. The committee looks at areas including the study design, the information given to participants, consent, potential risks and benefits, and the safeguards built into the research.

Once a study is underway, the Research Advisory Group (RAG) focuses on how it is being delivered across Mediclinic Middle East. It helps monitor research activity, identify operational challenges, share updates between the Research Office and facilities, and support consistent, safe delivery across the network.

Together, the REC and RAG help make sure research is not only carefully considered before it begins, but continues to be delivered responsibly, consistently, and with participant safety in mind throughout.

Research Ethics Committee

The REC reviews a wide range of research across Mediclinic Middle East, including clinical trials, educational research, staff surveys, and other research activity.

Its approach follows internationally recognised Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) principles, with the level of review matched to the nature and complexity of the study. Simpler, lower-risk research may need a more straightforward assessment, while larger or more complex trials go through a more detailed committee review.

Where changes are needed, the committee can give investigators detailed feedback, so they can strengthen the research before it moves forward.

The REC considers:

• Study design and scientific justification
• Patient information sheets
• Informed consent documentation
• Potential risks and benefits
• Participant safety measures
• Ethical considerations throughout the study

Around 15 people bring different clinical, professional, and independent perspectives to the REC. Chaired by Dr. Adrian Stanley, the committee includes physicians, nurses, pharmacists, hospital managers, Research Office representatives, and an independent lay member.

That independent perspective matters. The lay member helps make sure research is considered not only through a clinical lens, but also from the point of view of patients and the wider community.

Because the committee sits within Mediclinic Middle East, its members also understand the organisation, its facilities, and the people it serves. That brings valuable context to the review process before research progresses through the relevant DoH or DHA pathways.

Research Advisory Group

The Research Advisory Group brings together representatives from across Mediclinic Middle East, typically including Medical Directors or delegated senior leaders from each facility, alongside the Research Office and colleagues involved in research delivery.

With representatives from across the network, the RAG has a clear, organisation-wide view of research activity. By bringing together updates from facilities and the Research Office, the group can see where studies are progressing well, identify operational or safety concerns, help resolve issues and bottlenecks, spot where additional support may be needed, and share successful approaches across the network.

What RAG does:

• Monitoring research activity across facilities
• Sharing updates between the Research Office and facility leadership
• Identifying and resolving operational challenges
• Supporting the safe and effective delivery of ongoing research
• Sharing successful approaches and best practice across the network

Led by Dr. Rakshinda Mujeeb, Research Projects Manager, the RAG helps make sure facilities are not working in isolation. It gives leaders a clearer picture of what is happening across the network, so challenges can be surfaced earlier and useful learning can be shared more widely.