Confidentiality
How will you keep my personal information confidential?
Maintaining the confidentiality and security of personal data of all participants in The Atlantic PATH is a top priority. We do this by adhering to strict security procedures:
We remove all identifying information from your questionnaires, biological samples and physical measurements and replace it with a number.
Files that link your personal information to barcodes are stored in a secured area, and only a few members of The Atlantic PATH team have access to those files.
Those working with the samples and other research data only have access to coded information, not any identifying information about participants.
What about computer security?
The data stored on our computers is protected by control and security systems. Our research data is also protected by encryption methods which convert the information into forms which cannot be read without a special key and by firewalls that prevent unauthorized access.
Will insurance companies be able to access any information about my participation in The Atlantic PATH?
No, they will not. We separate your address and other personal information from your biological samples and other data, which are identified only by a numeric code. This data is anonymous. Even then, access to this anonymous data is only granted to scientific researchers who have received approval from their Board of Ethics.
What about employers?
No, employers cannot access any information under any circumstances.
What are you going to do with the information and biological samples?
They will be used by researchers to obtain a better understanding of the role played by environment, genetics and lifestyle in the development of cancer. However, the research will be taking place over many years, and it is not possible to state now what tests might be done on the samples in the future. How can I find out what the researchers discover?
Summaries of findings from research studies will be published and available on this website from time to time. Study results will be published in such a way that individual participants can never be identifiable.
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