Confidentiality

Confidentiality & Data Protection

Your Privacy Matters to Us

We understand the importance of keeping your personal information secure. Here’s how we ensure your confidentiality throughout the ASCEND Study.

How We Protect Your Information

  1. Coded Data
    • Your survey answers are linked to an identification number, not your name or contact information.
  2. Separate Storage
    • Your personal information (name, email, phone number) is stored in a separate database from your survey answers.
    • This ensures your responses cannot be traced back to you.
  3. Secure Servers
    • All data is stored on a secure server at the Brown School of Public Health.
    • Data files are password-protected and accessible only to the research team.
  4. Deletion Timeline
    • Your contact information will be permanently deleted 3 months after the study ends.

Certificate of Confidentiality

To further protect your data, we’ve obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. This means:

  • We can legally refuse to disclose your information in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legal proceeding—even if subpoenaed.
  • Exceptions:
    • If requested by the federal or state government for auditing.
    • If you provide written consent for your data to be shared.

Publications and Presentations

  • Your data will only be analyzed in aggregate form (group data).
  • No identifiable information about you will ever be shared in research publications or presentations.

Minimizing Risk

To further reduce the risk of confidentiality breaches:

  • Complete surveys in a private location to ensure your answers aren’t visible to others.
  • Close your browser window after completing each survey.
  • Respect privacy during any group orientations by not sharing identifiable information about other participants.

What Are the Risks?

Although unlikely, there’s always a small risk of:

  • Feeling uncomfortable answering sensitive questions about health behaviors or social networks.
  • Breach of confidentiality (e.g., if data is accessed improperly).

We strictly adhere to guidelines set by:

  • Brown University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
  • State and Federal laws protecting human research participants.

Your Rights

  • Participation is Voluntary: You can choose to leave the study at any time, for any reason.
  • Control Over Your Data: You can skip any questions you don’t want to answer, with no penalties.

Have Questions About Your Privacy?

If you’d like to learn more about how we protect your information, contact: