If you are asked to participate in a research study, you should always ask if it has been approved by the IRB. If a study has not been approved by the IRB, always refuse to participate. UAMS guarantees the safety and privacy of your records. Our doctors, nurses and scientists who conduct human research studies have received training on keeping medical information confidential, especially in a research study.
In addition, new federal laws, like HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), require that your records be kept confidential. The only people who need to see your records are the study team; those responsible for monitoring the study, which includes the UAMS Institutional Review Board (IRB); and the agency funding the study, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
