Professional standards regarding commercial and ethical aspects of research for podiatrists

Approved

March 21, 2025

Preamble

The College seeks to ensure that all medical research conducted by podiatrists is safe for patients and conducted with appropriate ethical rigour.

The College endorses the medical research approval policies of the Nova Scotia Health Authority Research and Ethics Board, the IWK Health Sciences Centre, and the Dalhousie University Health Sciences Research Ethics Board.

Professional standards

  1. Podiatrists must only participate in medical research approved by the:
    1. Nova Scotia Health Authority Research Ethics Board;
    2. IWK Research Ethics Board; or
    3. Dalhousie University Health Sciences Research Ethics Board; or
    4. An ethics board that complies with relevant national guidelines including the Good Clinical Practice Standards and Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.
  2. When recruiting or enlisting patients for a medical research study, podiatrists must disclose any financial interest or benefit they receive for medical research.
  3. Podiatrists must not be listed as authors of medical research unless they played an active role in the authoring, conducting, or overseeing of the medical research.

Resources

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia:

Canadian Medical Protective Association:

Document history

Approved by Executive Committee:March 21, 2025
Unless otherwise noted, this material is © College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia. This material may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, in whole or in part, provided that credit is given to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia or other original source identified in this document. Any other use requires permission from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.

The College acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. We also acknowledge that people of African descent have been in Nova Scotia for over 400 years, and we honour and offer gratitude to those ancestors.