You are invited to learn more about a research study involving people diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD).
This study aims to create a database of members medical journey data to inform future clinical innovation and design of clinical trials which address the needs of the members.
The knowledge generated from this study will help advance the care of CHD patients.
For the purpose of this data cooperative, “member” refers to the person diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). “You” refers to the person completing the survey or form. “You” may be the member or a family-member, caregiver, or legal guardian of the member.
When joining The Co-Op @ HeartWorks, you will be asked to provide the contact information, medial survey information, electronic health record, and possibly other information about the member. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.
Below we offer more details about what information we are collecting, why we are collecting the information, how it might be used, the possible benefits and risks of joining the data cooperative and more. If you have any questions, please contact Clinton Hagen / TheCoOp@WeBuildHearts.org.
A data cooperative is a database that stores the names, medical information, contact information and some additional information (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity) about people living Congenital Heart Defects. It also provides the members an active voice in the research important to their care, if they choose.
A data cooperative is not a business (i.e. cooperative association), it is a research study where members share in the benefits of research. There is no ownership or expected financial return to anyone who becomes a member in The Co-Op @ HeartWorks.
A data cooperative provides a mechanism for members and researchers to collaborate, where both have prospect of benefit. Members can donate their data to help researchers learn more about CHD. Members can also inform researchers about the topics important to their health. Researchers can quickly identify people living with CHD who are willing to participate in research studies. Researchers who are interested in recruiting people with CHD can contact our data cooperative. We will contact the members about the study.
The benefit of joining a data cooperative is to give members an active voice in the research intended to affect them. Data donated by data cooperative members will increase knowledge about signs and symptoms, progression (natural history) of CHD, learn more about quality of life, and potentially discover treatment options and a cure.
People living with CHD can contribute information for the data cooperative.
Patients over the age of 18 (who are fully competent to enter into a legal agreement) are eligible to join the data cooperative. Otherwise, the parent or legal guardian must answer the data cooperative questions for the patient to join.
Family members of deceased CHD individuals will be allowed to create accounts within The Co-Op @ HeartWorks and enter data of the deceased individual. These members will have the opportunity to donate all the same data as other members. However, will not be asked to update their information after the initial data donation.
The Co-Op @ HeartWorks is most valuable for scientific research when it is kept up to date and you will be asked to update your profile and information. We will send out notifications annually to remind you. You can also update the information whenever there is a change in contact information. We may also reach out to you if additional information or clarification is needed.
We value and respect your privacy. All of the information you provide to The Co-Op @ HeartWorks will be stored in The Matrix database, which is rigorously controlled for physical and electronic threats.
The designated data cooperative staff will have access to the information provided in the data cooperative. Your information will not be shared with anyone else without your prior written consent, unless otherwise required by law.
There is minimal risk in taking part in The Co-Op @ HeartWorks. The Co-Op @ HeartWorks includes questions that can be sensitive. You do not have to share any information you do not wish to. Another unlikely risk is potential breaches in the computer system. In the event of a breach, all data cooperative participants will be notified.
Although one of the main goals of The Co-Op @ HeartWorks is to make it easier for members to participate in research, there is no guarantee that any member will be eligible and/or selected for a trial.
When we learn about clinical trials for CHD, we will contact you if you are eligible, based on the information you have provided in The Co-Op @ HeartWorks. Please note that research protocols determine eligibility criteria, and not everyone is able to participant in research studies.
Even though you may not be interested in participating in a clinical trial, you may still want to join The Co-Op @ HeartWorks. We can send you information about new treatment or other disease-related updates.
Because your participation with The Co-Op @ HeartWorks is completely voluntary, you can withdraw at any time. Should you decide to withdraw, you can simply contact our registry coordinator by emailing Matrix Support at matrixsupport@acrossmatrix.com. When you contact us, you can choose to just stop participating or to also remove your data from the data cooperative.
No. There are no costs associated with joining or being part of The Co-Op @ HeartWorks.
If you have any questions, please contact The Co-Op @ HeartWorks at TheCoOp@WeBuildHearts.org.
If you have questions about the joining The Co-Op @ HeartWorks or about participation in the Co-Op @ HeartWorks, please contact the registry at TheCoOp@WeBuildHearts.org.
To register and consent to become a member of The Co-Op @ HeartWorks you can click here to get started.