HIPPA Compliance

The ProCEED (Prostate Cancer Study of Ethnicity, Exercise and Diet) was a case-control epidemiology study that was undertaken to assess racial differences in dietary risk factors for prostate cancer. Correlations between certain blood hormone concentrations and dietary intake were examined. Data collection forms were used to collect the dietary intake data. The photo presented is an image of the data collection forms used to collect the dietary data for the ProCEED study. The style of this image is significant, as this picture could not have been taken in sharper focus due to patient privacy rules. The Health Information Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) regulations were enacted in 2003, just as I was embarking on my research. While beneficial for patients, these regulations have made medical research very challenging. I feel that this image reflects my research, as well as the historical environment within which it was conducted.