Suggested Consent Language: Alias Medical Record

This research is covered by a Certificate of Confidentiality from the Federal government. This means that the researchers may not disclose information or biospecimens that may identify you, even by a court subpoena, in any federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings, nor can the information or biospecimens be used as evidence, unless you have consented to this disclosure. Information or biospecimens protected by this Certificate cannot be disclosed to anyone else who is not connected with the research except if you have consented to the disclosure, including for your medical treatment; or if it is used for other scientific research, as allowed by federal regulations protecting research subjects. 

A Certificate of Confidentiality does not prevent you from voluntarily releasing information about yourself or your involvement in this research. If you want your research information released to an insurer, medical care provider, or any other person not connected with the research, you must provide consent to allow the researchers to release it.

The Certificate of Confidentiality will not be used to prevent disclosure as required by federal, state, or local law. Examples of required disclosure include: child abuse and neglect, or harm to self and others, but there could be others.

If no information will be in the medical record:

Information about your study participation will not be in your medical record. This means that neither your research participation nor any of your research results will be included in any MUSC medical record.

OR: 

If information will be placed in the subject’s medical record at MUSC using alias coding, include the following:

If you are an MUSC patient you have an MUSC medical record. If you have never been an MUSC patient, a MUSC medical record will be created for the purposes of this study.

In order to protect your privacy, you may be assigned a different name or other identifier so that there will be no information in your medical record about your study participation. Your information will be coded in a way that does not identify you as a participant in this study to anyone outside of the research team. This means that neither your research participation nor any of your research results will be included in any MUSC medical record.

Finally, a Certificate may not be used to withhold information from the Federal government needed for auditing or evaluating Federally funded projects or information needed by the FDA.