RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Recent health care policies and regulations have affected the manner in which patient data--especially protected health information (PHI)--are handled in both the clinical and research settings. Specifically, it is now more challenging to obtain de-identified PHI from the clinic for use in research while adhering to the requirements of this new environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To meet this challenge, we have devised a novel web-based interface that facilitates the communication of data (eg, biopsy results) between the clinic and research environments without revealing PHI to the research team or associated research identifiers to the clinical collaborators. At the heart of the scheme is a web application that coordinates message passing between the researchers (in general, the requesters of de-identified PHI) and clinical collaborators (who have access to PHI) by use of a protocol that protects confidentiality. RESULTS: We describe the design requirements of this communication scheme and present implementation details of the web application and its associated database. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this scheme provides a useful communication mechanism that facilitates clinical research while maintaining confidentiality of patient data.
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Recent health care policies and regulations have affected the manner in which patient data--especially protected health information (PHI)--are handled in both the clinical and research settings. Specifically, it is now more challenging to obtain de-identified PHI from the clinic for use in research while adhering to the requirements of this new environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To meet this challenge, we have devised a novel web-based interface that facilitates the communication of data (eg, biopsy results) between the clinic and research environments without revealing PHI to the research team or associated research identifiers to the clinical collaborators. At the heart of the scheme is a web application that coordinates message passing between the researchers (in general, the requesters of de-identified PHI) and clinical collaborators (who have access to PHI) by use of a protocol that protects confidentiality. RESULTS: We describe the design requirements of this communication scheme and present implementation details of the web application and its associated database. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this scheme provides a useful communication mechanism that facilitates clinical research while maintaining confidentiality of patient data.
Authors: Clete A Kushida; Deborah A Nichols; Rik Jadrnicek; Ric Miller; James K Walsh; Kara Griffin Journal: Med Care Date: 2012-07 Impact factor: 2.983
Authors: Tiina Rajala; Sami Savio; Jarkko Penttinen; Prasun Dastidar; Mika Kähönen; Hannu Eskola; Risto Miettunen; Väinö Turjanmaa; Ritva Järvenpää Journal: J Digit Imaging Date: 2011-10 Impact factor: 4.056
Authors: Stephen A Chervitz; Eric W Deutsch; Dawn Field; Helen Parkinson; John Quackenbush; Phillipe Rocca-Serra; Susanna-Assunta Sansone; Christian J Stoeckert; Chris F Taylor; Ronald Taylor; Catherine A Ball Journal: Methods Mol Biol Date: 2011