Ethics committees in Japanese medical schools.

The present features and functions of ethics committees in 80 Japanese medical schools were surveyed by employing questionnaires. Seventy-nine schools had already established committees on each campus (however, the ethics committee at Kitasato Medical University was formally established after the completion of this survey). The major role of Japanese ethics committees may be said roughly to correspond to that of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) in the U.S., although ethics committees have other functions as well. Among the ethics committees' many problems, two significant weaknesses should be underscored. The first is the inappropriate composition of the membership of the committees: more non-campus members, younger professionals, and women should be invited to participate. The second concern is the committees' essentially closed review process: this process has not been adequately open to the public even in cases in which the issue of the patient's confidentiality does not arise. However, several schools are now preparing to open their meetings to non-members and this policy should improve the present situation. It is fortunate, however, that the ethics committees in Japan's medical schools were established by members from each campus and not as a response to national directives or legislation.