APPROACH Data Request Terms of Use

The following document outlines procedures and responsibilities for research using APPROACH, provided by the APPROACH Research Committee. As part of using APPROACH data, you are required to read through and accept the following terms of use. If you do not agree to be bound by all the terms of use listed below, you will not be given access to this dataset. More information about the APPROACH initiative can be found at www.approach.org

□ Ethics approval

I state that any Personal Health Information (PHI) or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) has been collected under adequate legal authorities for operational or research data:

1. Ethics approval and/or
2. Research agreement (or a Clinical Trial Agreement - CTA) as required by the Health Information Act (HIA) s.54, or similar agreement (i.e. CIHI agreement), or legislation.

Please ensure you have obtained ethics approval for your project, if it is to be used for a research project or you intend to publish your work.  If you are unsure whether your project is a research or quality improvement project, you may use the link below to determine whether ethics approval is required:

http://www.aihealthsolutions.ca/arecci/screening/

□ Data Security

I understand that data disclosed from APPROACH must be secured and protected and I attest that will take appropriate measures to protect data, as per my Institution’s Information Security or other relevant policies, proposed study protocol, as well as per the requirements of the Health Information Act (HIA) or other applicable legislation.

□ Data Usage

I understand the data provided is meant to be used for just one project, and information will be retained as per Institutional policies and retention rules. If data is required for multiple projects or initiatives, then a separate data request will be made for each project and recorded through the APPROACH system.

□ Data Breaches or Unauthorized Disclosure

In the instance of a data breach or unauthorized disclosure of APPROACH data, I will notify the APPROACH research committee within 48 hours of discovery of said breach or unauthorized disclosure. I understand that this will be done in addition to any other processes and procedures that I may need to follow as part of my protocol, Institutional policies, or legal requirements.

□ Training Requirements

I understand and certify that all staff utilizing APPROACH data are aware of the requirements of dealing with Personal Health Information and have completed Privacy and Security Awareness Training, as mandated through my Institution’s Policies or applicable contracts and/or legislation.

□ Collaborative Relationship

An APPROACH Research Committee member has been identified to support and assist you with use of APPROACH data and resources for your project.  Please keep them updated on the progress of your project and discuss appropriate timing to update the APPROACH research committee of the status of your project, and opportunities to bring the project to the APPROACH research committee for further input or feedback.

□ Progress updates to the APPROACH research committee

The APPROACH research committee tracks many active research projects, and it is important to ensure that active investigators have opportunities to use APPROACH for their projects, that investigators with complementary interests are connected for collaboration, and that proposals, grants, and project ideas are not duplicated.  Please remember to keep the APPROACH research committee updated on your progress via an email update or through discussion with your APPROACH Research Committee member.  We appreciate having you return to present updates on your work at the weekly APPROACH Research meeting held Tuesdays at 1pm in Calgary or via teleconference.

□ Notification of abstracts, presentations, and papers

Please keep us update on any abstracts, presentations, and papers you are planning to submit or that have been accepted.  Drafts of abstracts and manuscripts are distributed to the APPROACH Research Committee for review and to provide input that we hope will strengthen your submissions.  Please allow a minimum of one week for distribution and review of drafts before submission.  Please notify us of final presentation and manuscript submissions so we can keep track on these accomplishments.  Also, please consider presenting your work at the APPROACH National Meeting, usually held each September in Calgary.  For more information please email:

□ Criteria for Authorship

The APPROACH Research Committee asks you to please be considerate of those who have made substantial contributions to your study, and the appropriateness of their inclusion for authorship of manuscripts.  We recommend following the recommendations for authorship of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (http://www.icmje.org/).  Authors should be those people who have made substantial contributions to: (1) the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content.  (3) Remember that final approval of the version to be submitted should be obtained from all authors.

□ Periodic Reviews

I understand and consent that all my activity using APPROACH data may be monitored and  periodically reviewed.

□ Access Termination

I understand that my access can be terminated if I do not follow these Terms of Use, or if I do not abide by my Institution’s Integrity Policy or by applicable legislation.

□ Terms of Use Updates

I acknowledge the Terms of Use may change from time to time and I will be required to undergo attestation on a periodic basis.

□ Acceptance of Terms of Use

I agree with all of the Terms of Use listed above!