Applying the Common Rule to Public Health Agencies: Questions and Tentative Answers About a Separate Regulatory Regime

Abstract

No one questions the importance of protecting human subjects of research, but over the past few years dissatisfaction has surfaced with the manner in which the protection is conferred by the federal regulatory system referred to as "The Common Rule." This paper considers the case for exempting public health agencies from the Common Rule. It finds the case reasonable, and suggests that crafting such an alternative system for public health agencies could suggest ways to improve the Common Rule in other areas of research.