Fit Minded Inc reposted this
Fractional -Chief Science Officer -Chief Analytics Officer | Ex-Calm | Advisor | Behavior Science | Thought Leader | Using Science to Differentiate, Prove Outcomes, Increase Revenue, & Optimize Business Strategies
A major mental health company just got slammed by the FTC for playing fast and loose with client data. And it could have been avoided. Here's the secret: if your company is collecting, sharing, or analyzing data, you should get IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval. IRBs don't just deal with research that will be published. You can get their help to keep things above board for almost anything data-related. If you’re a healthcare company, you will be collecting data. Everyone does. And even if your privacy policy covers data usage, you should still get IRB approval to analyze this data. They'll point out any ethical conflicts to avoid and help you prevent a major PR crisis later on. Approval from an IRB means that the study has been reviewed and that the procedures for collecting and sharing the data meets high ethical standards for protecting the privacy and rights of those who use your services. IRBs help ensure your practices are HIPAA compliant, that you're handling PHI correctly, and use aggregated de-identified data from customers for writing reports and publications (which means you don’t need explicit consent from each individual, but you’re still protecting their privacy). You can hire an independent IRB to help you make sure that your methods are ethical and your data handling is secure. The IRB process might seem tedious, but there are no shortcuts to maintaining trust and credibility. It protects both your company and your customers. And trust me, presenting everything to an IRB board is a lot better than presenting everything to the FTC. #DataPrivacy #IndustryScience #FractionalCSO