U.S. Audit of VA Hospitals’ Research Urged

Citing disturbing reports of possible patients’ rights abuses in studies at the veterans hospital in West Los Angeles, members of Congress have asked the government to audit research practices at selected Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide.

The audit will be the first ethics probe of VA clinical research by the General Accounting Office, the investigating arm of Congress. It is meant to assess whether the sort of problems recently revealed at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System--lax oversight of informed consent and other legally required patient protections--are present at other veterans facilities.

The audit is the latest fallout from the abrupt shutdown in March of animal and human research at the beleaguered West Los Angeles facility.

“Reports of problems with the treatment of veterans in research projects with the VA have raised concerns about the adequacy of the protections for participants,” according to a letter sent to the accounting office by four members of the House of Representatives who head subcommittees overseeing veterans affairs.

A congressional investigator said the audit will consist of a close analysis of records from hospital ethics committees that evaluate research projects and interviews with key personnel at an undisclosed number of the 140 or so VA facilities that do clinical research. The findings are expected in February.