Association for the Accreditation
of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. ®

Resources: For Accreditation - Procedures

AAHRPP ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES

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Latest Update: July 9, 2019
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Table of Contents

the aahrpp accreditation program initial accreditation procedures reaccreditation procedures streamlined reaccreditation procedures for legacy organizations accreditable organizations site visitors recusals council on accreditation granting or denying accreditation categories of accreditation for renewing applicants categories of accreditation for new applicants voluntary withdrawal from aahrpp accreditation limited site visits status reports fees publication of accreditation status annual and other notification reporting mandatory revisits appeals and hearings certificates of accreditation confidentiality protected health information release and indemnification records retention

Confidentiality

Information about specific AAHRPP clients (and the third parties with whom they do business or from whom they receive information) is confidential (“AAHRPP Client Confidential Information”). This applies to an Organization that participates at any level, including potential clients that have only indicated their intent to apply for accreditation. The only information that may be released by an AAHRPP Representative about the accreditation status of a participating Organization is that the Organization is or is not accredited. AAHRPP Client Confidential Information includes (but is not limited to) all information regarding the client's business, personnel, facilities, management, technical and scientific information, and deliberations or comments originating from the accreditation process, as well as all information regarding third parties with whom the Organization does business or from whom the Organization receives 

information. 

All AAHRPP Client Confidential Information made available by an Organization to AAHRPP or its Representatives is kept confidential to the extent required by law. No Representative may remove or retain copies of any Organization’s confidential documents without the permission of the Organization. No Representative may disclose any of his or her findings to any person or agency except AAHRPP, except to the extent required by applicable law. AAHRPP Representatives who fail to adhere to this policy may be discharged. In addition, AAHRPP may pursue legal action against them. 

Organizations must comply with all legal and ethical requirements for disclosing any research records with participants' personally identifiable information, and must follow appropriate procedures to protect the confidentiality of records. Without limiting the foregoing, an Organization should "de-identify" records provided to or made available to AAHRPP, and may not provide AAHRPP with records or information that are not de-identified. AAHRPP will not hold, maintain, or disclose records with research participants’ personally identifiable information. AAHRPP and its Representatives will hold all files and records in confidence, and no confidential data will be released by AAHRPP except pursuant to direction by the Board of Directors, a court order, a valid search warrant, or as otherwise required by applicable law. 

In some states, statutes pertaining to the “peer review” privilege may be applicable to protect institutional peer review materials from subpoena. An Organization should determine for itself whether (1) the AAHRPP accreditation process is considered to be a “peer review” process, (2) AAHRPP and its site visitors are or should be considered part of the Organization’s “peer review committee,” and the governing bodies of an Organization should appoint AAHRPP and its site visitors as part of the Organization’s peer review committee prior to the submission date of the application in order to maximize the likelihood that the accreditation process will be considered “peer review.” AAHRPP bears no responsibility for making these determinations, or for withholding its information from disclosure due to peer review privilege. 


Proceed To: protected health information