Comment: Reporting Actionable Research Results – Shared Secrets Can Save Lives

Posted on by

Science Translational Medicine
18 July 2012 vol 4, issue 143
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/current

Commentary: Policy
Reporting Actionable Research Results: Shared Secrets Can Save Lives
Lawrence E. Hunter, Christian Hopfer, Sharon F. Terry, and Marilyn E. Coors
18 July 2012: 143cm8

Abstract
In this Commentary, we describe a cryptographic method for returning research results to individuals who participate in clinical studies. Controlled use of this method, which relaxes the typical anonymization guarantee, can ensure that clinically actionable results reach participants while also addressing most privacy concerns.