Home : Academic/Research : Health Sciences

Individual health information of decedents may be used or disclosed to internal researchers when it is sought for a research purpose and the researcher represents that:

1. the PHI is necessary for the research purposes; and
2. the use or disclosure is solely for research on the PHI of decedents.

The holder of the data may require that the researcher provide documentation of the death of the individuals who are the subject of the PHI sought.

External researchers must obtain from the surviving next of kin an authorization that meets the requirements of Minnesota law before decedent information may be disclosed to the external researcher.

For research accessing individual health information of both decedents and living subjects, both internal and external researchers must obtain IRB approval before accessing the individual health information.