Mishra, Nagendra NBhatia, TriptishNimgaonkar, Vishwajit LDeshpande, Smita NParker, Lisa S2020-04-102020-04-102018-10Mishra Nagendra N, Bhatia Triptish, Nimgaonkar Vishwajit L, Deshpande Smita N, Parker Lisa S. A qualitative study of Institutional Ethics Committees: Members' understanding of research guidelines, privacy, and challenges to privacy protection. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 2018 OCT; 3(4): 3150974-8466 http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/195144Right to privacy of health-related information is a foundational bioethical principle. In India, the importance of protecting privacy is included in law and ethical guidelines. Institutional Ethics Committees (IECs) are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting fundamental ethical principles, including privacy and confidentiality. The present qualitative study was designed to understand an IECs’ privacy-related obligations and the members’ experience in implementing ethical guidelines and privacy protections in their institutions. An interview guide was prepared regarding knowledge of ethical guidelines. Interviews of nineteen IEC members were recorded, transcribed, and translated. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Themes related to these issues were extracted after analysis: awareness, understanding, and implementation of ethical guidelines; understanding of privacy-related obligations and their implementation; and juridical risks to privacy of patients and research participants. The results suggest that training programmes and awareness workshops should be organised for IEC members to protect the rights of research participants, especially in confidentiality issues.Journal ArticleIndiaAssistant Professor and Head, Department of Psychology Langat Singh College, B. R. Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur 842001, India, drmishrarml@yahoo.comSenior Research Scientist, Indo-US Projects, Center of Excellence in Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, New Delhi 110001, India, bhatiatriptish@yahoo.co.inProfessor of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, Director, Program for Genetics and Psychosis, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA, nimga@pitt.eduProfessor and Head, Department of Psychiatry Central India Unit of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics (Haifa), Centre of Excellence in Mental Health, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, New Delhi 110001, India, smitadeshp@gmail.com