USC researchers and staff who use or access protected health information will be required to complete the Research HIPAA course offered online through CITI when renewing certification for the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and/or Human Subjects Research Protection Training (HSR) courses. Those complete GCP and/or HSR courses for the first time must also complete the Research HIPAA course if the study requires access to protected health information. The Research HIPAA course covers the “Privacy Rule” also known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as it applies to conducting research.
As Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and/or Human Subjects Research Protection Training (HSR) courses expire, researchers will be prompted to complete the Research HIPAA course available from CITI. The previously completed USC HIPAA Privacy course will be honored until GCP and/or HSR courses are due for renewal. The Research HIPAA course must be completed when renewing GCP and /or HSR in order to continue participation in IRB approved research. A refresher course is required for GCP, HSR and Research HIPAA every 3 years.
This new requirement has been established per the recommendation of a recent audit of the USC Institutional Review Board and is consistent with standards of practice found at research institutions across the nation.
The Research HIPAA course does not replace the USC HIPAA Privacy course. This is a separate course required by and offered through the Office of Culture, Ethics, and Compliance. The USC HIPAA Privacy course serves to address site specific guidance and issues related to medical records and practices in the USC Keck clinical settings.