Document Type
Article
Publication Title
American Journal of Human Genetics
Publication Date
3-2017
ISSN
0002-9297
Page Number
414
Keywords
broad consent, tiered consent, biorepository research, biobank research, data sharing, informed consent
Disciplines
Health Law and Policy | Law
Abstract
Individuals participating in biobanks and other large research projects are increasingly asked to provide broad consent for open-ended research use and widespread sharing of their biosamples and data. We assessed willingness to participate in a biobank using different consent and data sharing models, hypothesizing that willingness would be higher under more restrictive scenarios. Perceived benefits, concerns, and information needs were also assessed. In this experimental survey, individuals from 11 US healthcare systems in the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network were randomly allocated to one of three hypothetical scenarios: tiered consent and controlled data sharing; broad consent and controlled data sharing; or broad consent and open data sharing. Of 82,328 eligible individuals, exactly 13,000 (15.8%) completed the survey. Overall, 66% (95% CI: 63%–69%) of population-weighted respondents stated they would be willing to participate in a biobank; willingness and attitudes did not differ between respondents in the three scenarios. Willingness to participate was associated with self-identified white race, higher educational attainment, lower religiosity, perceiving more research benefits, fewer concerns, and fewer information needs. Most (86%, CI: 84%–87%) participants would want to know what would happen if a researcher misused their health information; fewer (51%, CI: 47%–55%) would worry about their privacy. The concern that the use of broad consent and open data sharing could adversely affect participant recruitment is not supported by these findings. Addressing potential participants’ concerns and information needs and building trust and relationships with communities may increase acceptance of broad consent and wide data sharing in biobank research.
Recommended Citation
Ellen Wright Clayton, Saskia C. Sanderson, Kyle B. Brothers, Nathaniel D. Mercaldo, and other contributers,
Public Attitudes Towards Consent and Data Sharing in Biobank Research, 100 American Journal of Human Genetics. 414
(2017)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/1613
Comments
Contributers not mentioned above in authors section:
Armand H. Matheny Antommaria, Sharon A. Aufox, Murray H. Brilliant, Diego Campos, David S. Carrell, John Connolly, Pat Conway, Stephanie M. Fullerton, Nanibaa’ A. Garrison, Carol R. Horowitz, Gail P. Jarvik, David Kaufman, Terrie E. Kitchner, Rongling Li, Evette J. Ludman, Catherine A. McCarty, Jennifer B. McCormick, Valerie D. McManus, Melanie F. Myers, Aaron Scrol, Janet L. Williams, Martha J. Shrubsole, Jonathan S. Schildcrout, Maureen E. Smith and Ingrid A. Holm)