What does revocation of Authorization mean?
Research subjects have had a longstanding right to revoke their consent to participate in research. In addition, the Privacy Rule permits a subject to revoke permission for researchers to use or disclose his or her identifiable information for research. The researchers must honor this request, except to the extent they have already relied on the permission. For example, if a researcher has already included a person’s protected health information (PHI) in an analysis, the analysis can be maintained but the researcher should consult with the IRB regarding the individual’s request. In addition, HHS guidance specifies that researchers may “continue using and disclosing protected health information that was obtained prior to the time the individual revoked his or her authorization, as necessary to maintain the integrity of the research study”. Researchers may also use or disclose PHI already gathered for purposes such as accounting for the subject’s withdrawal, reporting adverse events, or
