{"id":856,"date":"2018-05-23T08:38:02","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T08:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/az.research.umich.edu\/medschool\/document\/decedents\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T11:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:31:36","slug":"decedents","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/az.research.umich.edu\/medschool\/guidance\/decedents\/","title":{"rendered":"Decedents"},"template":"","categories":[24],"tags":[],"content-type":[41],"topic":[42,43,45,66],"update-type":[],"class_list":["post-856","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","category-institutional-review-boards-irbmed","content-type-guidance","topic-application-types","topic-eresearch-regulatory-management-errm","topic-hipaa-protected-health-information","topic-investigator-study-team-responsibilities"],"acf":{"use_legacy_editor":true,"updated_date":"2020-08-10 14:15:00","update_notice":false,"author":"IRBMED","summary":"Research<\/a> involving data and\/or biospecimens from decedents (deceased individuals) is not regulated under the Common Rule.<\/a> However, if you or any member of the study team will be accessing Protected Health Information (PHI)<\/a>\u00a0of the decedent(s), the project must comply with\u00a0HIPAA Privacy Rule.<\/a>\r\n\r\nHIPAA<\/a> Privacy Rule permits access to PHI as part of\u00a0Research on Decedents<\/a>\u00a0if<\/strong>\u00a0the researcher provides appropriate representations (or assurances) to the\u00a0covered entity<\/a>.\u00a0These representations are recorded in the\u00a0eResearch<\/a>\u00a0Regulatory Management (eRRM<\/a>) system.","button_links":null,"related_content":[745,752,744],"legacy_path":"decedents","legacy_node_id":417,"legacy_related_nids":"285, 293, 284","legacy_content_section":[{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"Required Representations (Assurances)","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"
    \r\n \t
  1. Use and disclosure is sought solely for research<\/a> on the PHI<\/a> of decedents (eResearch application question 25-6<\/a>.2<\/strong>),<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. PHI for which use or disclosure is sought is necessary for the research purposes (eResearch\u00a01.8\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a025-6<\/a>.1<\/strong>), and<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. At the request of the covered entity<\/a>, researchers can produce documentation of the death of the individuals whose PHI is sought (eResearch\u00a025-6<\/a>.2)<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"Process for Application","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"To request \u201cResearch on Decedents\u2019 Protected Health Information\u201d review, complete a new application in\u00a0eResearch\u00a0<\/a>Regulatory Management (eRRM<\/a>). Fill out system-required sections, including:\r\n