Data protection

Confidentiality and data protection

The data protection concept of ISPM ensures the secure handling of all sensitive data. All employees sign the confidentiality agreement of ISPM. Non-anonymous and noncoded data shall be handled with uttermost discretion and only be accessible to authorized personnel.

Access to personal information (names, addresses, and other identifying information), is only given to staff members who need this information to perform their duties (data entry and mailing).

Researchers and statisticians will only have access to partial datasets that meet the inclusion criteria of their research question. They will have no direct access to the entire database and to any personal data. Only designated researchers will have access to the geocodes and only for the period needed to complete the analysis. No identifiable personal information will be included in reports or publications.