Background
The Tamale Teaching Hospital has a tripartite mandate that provides Tertiary Healthcare, Medical Training and Research. Hence, in fulfilment of the third mandate of the hospital, the Department of Research and Development of the hospital has the oversight responsibilities of managing the research activities within the hospital.
The department seeks to advance and accomplish the strategic objective five of the hospital: thus “To strengthen research capacity and build stronger collaborations and partnerships”.
Core Functions
Ethical Review
As part of efforts to fulfil the research mandate of the hospital, an ethical review committee was established in 2015 to oversee and regulate the ethical conduct of research, mainly in the medical discipline.
The Tamale Teaching Hospital Ethical Review Committee (TTH ERC) is an independent ethics review committee that reviews and approves research protocols in the field of medicine and other social sciences.
TTH ERC Composition
The membership of the committee comprised of the following institutions/Department;
- Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Northern Regions-Tamale
- Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Northern Regions-Tamale
- University For Development Studies (UDS), Northern Region-Tamale
- Ghana Health Service (GHS), Northern Region-Tamale
- Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), Upper East Region-Navrongo
- Medical Directorate, Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH)
- Nursing Directorate, Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH)
- General Administration, Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH)
The committee occasionally coopts other professionals as and when their expertise are required to fashion a protocol review.
TTH ERC Secretariat
The TTH ERC has a permanent secretariat situated on the first floor of the administration block in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The TTH ERC follows a structured protocol that clearly outlines terms of reference, membership, meetings and criteria for protocol reviews. These are clearly spelt out in the TTH ERC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
The main officers of the TTH ERC comprise the Chair, Vice Chair and the Coordinator. The chairmanship of the committee is always a non-staff of TTH.
Guidelines for Submitting Protocols
To submit a protocol for review in TTH, a letter of intent must be addressed to the chairman via
research.development@tth.gov.gh of the ethics committee. Once the application is received a Protocol submission form would be forwarded to the prospective applicant to fill and returned for consideration. In submitting the protocol for review, the following documents must be included;
- Cover letter
- Protocol submission form
- Consent form
- Protocol/Proposal
- Curriculum Vitae(s) (CVs)
- Any other relevant document.
Technical Support
The Department of Research and Development in the hospital offers technical support and advice to staff and researchers who need the services of the department in the area of research. It also advises the hospital in areas of research and research collaboration.
Institutional Research
The department also fosters research collaboration with other institutions both locally and internationally to improve the wellbeing of our cherished patients and knowledge advancement.
The Research and Development Department also receives, authorizes and monitors research activities within the confines of the hospital.
Request to use TTH as Study Site
To use the TTH as a research study site, a letter of intent must be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. A study proposal must be attached to the request for permission to conduct the study in the hospital. And where applicable, a copy of an ethical clearance letter must be attached. The application would be assessed for appropriateness and approval granted where necessary.
When an intent to apply for ethical clearance is stated in the study proposal, permission cannot be granted until evidence of the clearance is adduced.
Operational Research
In collaboration with other departments and sub-BMCs in the hospital, the department periodically conducts research into health issues for the purpose of improving health care and knowledge management.
Annual Scientific Research Forum
The Tamale Teaching Hospital conducts an annual scientific research conference where researchers present their research findings to the hospital and the general public. All these are geared towards advancing the research mandate of the teaching hospitals’ Act in Ghana.
Research Misconduct
The hospital will not waver in applying the necessary sanctions where obvious research misconduct is detected. Primarily, failure to secure the appropriate permissions, concerns and ethical clearance (where applicable) will not be countenanced.
The hospital reserves the right to discredit any research work that fails to adhere to the hospital's research policy guidelines and other statutory research conventions in conducting research.
TTH Research Policy Documents
- TTH ERC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- TTH Research Policy Guidelines
TTH ERC Forms
- New protocol submission form
- Consent form
- Continue review form
- Protocol amendment form
- Study closure form
- Protocol deviation form
Contact Us
For further information you can reach the Department of Research and Development through;
First and second floors of the administration block, Tamale Teaching Hospital
Email: research.development@tth.gov.gh
