Studies taking place within PHC which use patient or other client populations, access medical or other records, or impact PHC clinical or other service resources in any way require approvals in addition to REB approval before the research starts. The approval process ensures that all research involving humans at Providence Health Care are reviewed with respect to ethical, safety, legal and physical considerations.

Note: Investigators holding a Certificate of Ethical Approval issued by a Research Ethics Board other than UBC PHC REB must still apply for PHC institutional approval in circumstances where the research is being conducted at another institution or location but where the investigator, for research purposes, requires access to PHC services, clinical units, patients, staff and to data or tissue held by PHC.

Prior to commencing research involving human subjects at Providence Health Care, researchers are required to be in possession of two separate certificates of approval before research may begin at Providence Health Care. These are:

A Certificate of Ethical Approval issued by one of the UBC Research Ethics Boards (UBC PHC REB, UBC C&W REB, UBC CREB, UBC BCAA REB, UBC BREB)

A Providence Health Care Institutional Certificate of Final Approval - signed by the PHC VP of Research & Academic Affairs.

The decision of the PHC Vice President of Research & Academic Affairs is contingent upon the receipt of the following documentation:

A Certificate of Ethical Approval issued by one of the UBC Research Ethics Boards (as above) or other authorized Research Ethics Board

Approval issued by all affected service departments/clinical units in the institution

A fully executed sponsored research agreement, approval letter from a public granting agency, notice from the Foundation of an award or donation for the research or other documentation indicating where funding is coming from for all funded projects

Receipt of the REB ethics review fee, where applicable.

Approvals should be forwarded, by email to:

Paula Piper
Research Ethics Coordinator
ppiper@providencehealth.bc.ca

Providence Health Care Hospital Approval Contacts

Please contact the following individuals to obtain hospital approvals (departments listed in alphabetical order below). Each hospital department or service area will advise you of their specific requirements for approval of the research project.
Providence Research Hospital Contacts - March 2023
PHC Program Utilization Form (for programs that do not provide their own utilization form)
Research in Heart Centre
Health Records Request for Retrival-Access
PCIS Training Registration Form
PCIS External Training Registration Form
ICU, HAU and Critical Care Operational Approval Form
ED Operational Approval Form
Respiratory Therapy/Pulmonary Diagnostics Research Request Form
Research Request for Anatomic Pathology Services
Medical Imaging Research Study Questionnaire
Biomedical Engineering - Expectations for Researchers
Research Study Request for MDRD