What is the Data Safety and Monitoring Board?
The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) is an independent board of medical researchers that has responsibilities for ensuring the safety of participants and the proper conduct of the study. The DSMB reviews all of the study data every 6 months. The Board includes twelve outstanding medical researchers with expertise in aging, behavioral science, cancer, cardiology, ethics, gynecology, nutrition, osteoporosis, statistics, and womens health. The Board reports directly to the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which funds the WHI program. Each WHI Clinical Center also has a separate review board called an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The local IRB is responsible for making sure that participants are kept fully informed about the study and that their safety is protected.
