Ethics Approval
All research projects that use CHeReL services require the approval of a HREC, even if the data that are proposed to be provided to the researcher are de-identified.
Please contact us prior to seeking ethics approval, to confirm that your linkage is technically feasible and will be carried out by the CHeReL. A supporting letter from the CHeReL should accompany your ethics application, and is mandatory for submissions to the NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committe and the UNSW Human Research Ethics Committee.
Approval of the NSW Population and Health Service Research Ethics Committee is required for record linkage projects that use
- the Master Linkage Key
- data collections owned or managed by the NSW Department of Heath or the Cancer Institute NSW
This Ethics Committee is jointly auspiced by the Cancer Institute NSW and NSW Health.
The contact details are:
NSW Population & Health Services Research Ethics Committee
Cancer Institute NSW
Level 1, Biomedical Building
Australian Technology Park
EVELEIGH, NSW 2015
PO BOX 41
Alexandria, NSW 1435
Tel: + 612 8374 5615
Fax: + 612 8374 3500
For linkage projects using other data sources, approval of the relevant institutional human research ethics committee is required.
Proposals must be approved by relevant data custodians prior to submission, using the Data Custodian Sign Off form.
Proposals will need to include information about the CHeReL. Background information, example project plans and data custodian contact details can be found in the CHeReL Guide to Health Record Linkage Services.