Att7_Confidentiality Procedures Westat

Following is a description of the procedures Westat will take to assure confidentiality of study data
collected from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study respondents:


Study data will be identified and retrieved by a study number only.



Social Security Numbers will not be collected.



Hard-copy records provided by the respondents will be destroyed once the study data has been
incorporated into the study datasets.



Respondent identifiers (name, address, and telephone numbers) will be stored in a secure,
password protected, and locked file according to the DHHS ADP Systems Security Policy.



Hard-copy data forms will be identified only by a study identification number and will be stored
in locked files at the contractor’s facilities.



All computerized data will be maintained in a manner that is consistent with the DHHS ADP
Systems Security Policy.



No reports or data files will contain personal identifiers.



All contract staff working on the study will be required to sign a statement pledging to maintain
the confidentiality of all data.



Access to study data will be limited to the staff working on the study.



When the study is complete or until the data is no longer required for research, the data will be
destroyed as required by NIH Manual 1743 – Keeping and Destroying Records.