Institutional Data Use Agreement includes the University of Georgia
The University of Georgia joins the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) for a statewide focus on advancing clinical and translational science. Data sharing among researchers and access to electronic medical records in different partner institutions is integral to fostering collaboration and efficiency in translational science. For this reason, representatives of Emory University (Emory), Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s), and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), signed an Institutional Data Use Agreement. The agreement now includes Georgia CTSA’s newest partner institution, the University of Georgia (UGA).
“The addition of UGA provides the Georgia CTSA a state-wide footprint to connect with every county in the state to address health and wellness needs, particularly in rural and underserved populations; opportunities for continued excellence in research by strengthening existing and expanding new research collaborations; and the ability to enrich interprofessional education to include students and trainees from pharmacy and other disciplines so that they can learn how to work together as a team to discover new approaches and treatments that improve health and patient care,” said Bradley G. Phillips, PharmD, director of the Clinical and Translational Research Unit and Georgia CTSA principal investigator for UGA.
The Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance Institutional Data Use Agreement outlines requirements and conditions for sharing health data generated by Georgia CTSA partner institutions. The agreement allows a researcher or other appropriate party who requests health data or a limited data set from Emory, MSM, Children’s, Georgia Tech, or UGA to agree to the terms of disclosure. The agreement defines data as health information generated by a Georgia CTSA partner as part of its research or clinical operations that is de-identified or part of a limited data set. De-identified data is health information that does not identify an individual. Limited data sets must also exclude direct identifiers of an individual. The data shared must be used for research purposes only and in the case of “research involving human subjects,” appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and approval must be obtained prior to release of the data.
To request access to Georgia CTSA health data for research purposes, click here and submit an online request.
“This exciting partnership is a great example of how research universities in Georgia can work together to improve lives and communities across the state,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.
As leaders in health care solutions, biomedical research, clinical and translational research, the Georgia CTSA’s state-wide medical research institutions can benefit from Georgia CTSA’s partner reciprocity initiative to ensure the promotion of inter-institutional collaboration. This initiative aims to enhance efficiency, minimize administrative barriers, and accelerate the pace of quality science, IRB reciprocity, and continue to foster collaboration among Georgia CTSA partner institutions. The data agreement provides a framework to allow health data to be shared across the state. This will enable efficiency and speed of clinical and translational data sharing by allowing controlled and protected access to health data in Georgia.
The Georgia CTSA has a strong focus on transforming the quality and value of clinical research and translating research results into better outcomes through partnership and collaborations. Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, and UGA’s partnership complements, strengthens and broadens Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance’s clinical and translational research developments and advancements to impact the State of Georgia and beyond.