P - Confidentiality Pledges

Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS)
CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA USE OATH

Each Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (Centers) has been awarded a
Certificate of Confidentiality from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). In accordance with Section 301(d) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42
U.S.C. 241(d)), I, as a ___________________________ (Centers employee, CDC
employee, scientist, contractor, colleague), am permitted access to personally identifiable
data. As a condition of this access and my participation in this project, I am required to
comply with the following safeguards and policy commitments for individuals against
invasions of privacy.
1. I agree to be bound by the following promise:
In accordance with Section 301(d) of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 241(d)), all
respondents are assured that the confidentiality of their responses in this study
will be maintained, and that the privacy of research subjects is protected by
the withholding of, from all persons not connected with the study, any
personally identifying characteristics of the research subjects.
2. I agree to maintain the following safeguards to assure that confidentiality
is protected and to provide for the physical security of the records:
To preclude observation of confidential information by persons not
authorized to have access to the information on this project, I shall
maintain all records that identify individuals, or from which individuals
could be identified, in locked containers or protected computer files,
when not under immediate supervision by me or another authorized
member of the project. The keys or means of access to these containers
or files are not to be given to anyone other than BD-STEPS authorized staff.
I further agree to abide by any additional requirements imposed by
CDC for safeguarding the identity of individuals.
3. The BD-STEPS Data Sharing Committee must approve uses of the BDSTEPS data. No analysis of data or dissemination of findings from the BDSTEPS may occur without approval from the committee for a specific
research purpose. Instructions for submission of research proposals are
specified in the Data Sharing Guidelines document available from each
Center.
4. The Principal Investigator of the BD-STEPS from each Center is responsible
for tracking the use of the BD-STEPS data at their Center and assuring that
each person who has access to the data has read and signed this agreement.

5. I understand that the Data Sharing Committee must approve any manuscripts,
abstracts, or public presentations based on the analyses before they can be
submitted for consideration.
6. I agree not to attempt to identify any individual person whose information is
contained in the BD-STEPS data unless required for BD-STEPS activities
authorized by the Data Sharing Committee.
7. I agree not to distribute, copy, or share the data with any person(s) other than
those designated by the Principal Investigator of the Center.
8. At the conclusion of the research covered by this agreement, I agree to
promptly return to the Center from which the data were obtained, any
documentation and manuals about the BD-STEPS, and to remove (delete)
any electronic files containing data or output from any computer equipment
which I have used to gain access to and/or to analyze BD-STEPS data.
My signature below indicates that I have carefully read and understand this agreement
and the oath which pertains to the confidential nature of all records to be handled in
regard to this project. As a ________________________ (Center employee, CDC
employee, scientist, contractor, colleague), I understand that I am prohibited from
disclosing any such confidential information that has been obtained under this project to
anyone other than authorized staff of BD-STEPS. I understand that any disclosure in
violation of this Confidentiality Oath may lead to termination of my employment, as well
as other penalties.

__________________________
(Typed/Printed Name)

_____________________________
(Signature)
_____________________________
(Date)

__________________________
(Center PI)

_____________________________
(Date)