MedTrack: Ireland's Medical Career Tracking Study
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Principal Investigator
Prof. Ruairi Brugha Dept Epidemiology & Public Health Medicine, RCSI [email protected] (01) 402 2424 |
Co-Investigator
Dr. Frances Cronin Dept Epidemiology & Public Health Medicine, RCSI [email protected] (01) 402 2346 |
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Why is this study being done? |
Who is organising and funding this study? |
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MedTrack (Ireland’s first Medical Career Tracking Study) aims to measure and understand interns’ experiences, their specialty choices, and the factors that determine their career plans, including where they plan to practice. The findings will inform the HSE and training bodies about the training and career opportunities that trainees need. The RCSI researchers have been working closely with the HSE National Doctor Training and Planning (NDTP), especially with the National NCHD Leads, to ensure this happens.
How will the study be carried out?The email you received has a unique link to a self-administered questionnaire that will take you about 10 minutes to complete and can be done on a smart phone. The survey will remain live until the end of June, shortly before interns move to their next posts.
What happens to my data ?If you consent, we will hold on to your contact details so that we can contact you once more, in late 2018 or early 2019. However, at any point that you request, we will delete this personal data. You will continue to be free to decide not to participate in any future survey.
How can I withdraw my consent to the MedTrack study?If you have entered data in the Intern Survey and wish that no analysis takes place and that the data you submitted be deleted, please email us HERE. If you think you may have participated in the Final Med survey, 18 months ago, and wish that the data you submitted be deleted, please email us HERE. If you consent to continue to be part of the MedTrack project but wish the RCSI to delete your personal data (your name and email address), please email us HERE.
Data retentionResearch data held by RCSI will be held for 7 years and then destroyed, in line with the RCSI Population Health Science Division data policy. However, we will delete your data at any point, on request from you.
What are the risks?Given the stringent confidentiality and data security controls, we believe there are no risks associated with your participation.
Where can I get further information?If you would like additional informational, please email us at [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected]
Data Protection – relevant definitions and information from the 2018 GDPRPersonal Data – means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living person. In the case of MedTrack, this consists of your name and email address.
Sensitive Personal Data is data revealing: racial or ethnic origin; religious or philosophical beliefs; trade union membership; genetic data; health data; biometric data; data concerning sex life; sexual orientation. MedTrack is not collecting any sensitive personal data. Identifiable Data – the data subject is identified. In MedTrack, this consists only of your name and email address. Pseudonymised Data – data that can no longer be attributed to the data subject without additional information which is kept separately. In MedTrack, once we have linked your intern survey data with your baseline data (that is if you completed a survey in Final Med), we will assign your data a unique code number. The code book, containing unique code numbers linked to names and email addresses, will be kept separate from the survey data, under secure conditions. This means that the analysis (data processing) we conduct will be on pseudonymised data. Data Processing – means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data such as collecting, recording, organising, storing, altering, retrieving, disseminating, consulting, deleting or destroying. Data processing (analysis) will be restricted to the following named researchers, employed or contracted by the RCSI: Dr Frances Cronin and Dr Nick Clarke, working under the guidance of Professor Ruairi Brugha (PI), and Professor Ronan Conroy and Pat Dicker (RCSI biostatisticians). Data Controller - this is the person (principal investigator, researcher, doctor, nurse etc.) or organisation (HSE, hospital, academic institution etc.) who decides why the processing of personal data is necessary and then how the data is to be processed. In MedTrack, Professor Ruairí Brugha (Principle Investigator) is the Data Controller. Legal Basis - this is the legal basis for processing personal data. In the case of MedTrack, Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation 2016, i.e. Public Interest, is the legal basis for data processing. No sensitive personal data are being collected. |
The research has been designed by the RCSI MedTrack Project Team – see here and is funded by a Health Research Board (HRB) project grant. The HRB is the government agency that funds health services and population health research in Ireland.
Why am I being asked to take part?We are asking all interns in Ireland to take part in this survey. You may be one of those who completed a short baseline survey on your career plans as a Final Med student, 18 months ago, who agreed to be followed up. Or, you are one of the other interns, to whom we are now giving an opportunity to participate in this national career tracking study.
What will happen if I agree to take part – data linkage?MedTrack is a longitudinal study that is tracking medical graduates’ career choices. This requires us to link your survey data to any data you may have provided to us in the baseline survey, 18 months ago. We will link the two datasets, using your contact details (your name and email address). We will then assign your data a unique identifier number and remove your contact details and keep them under secure conditions, separate to your responses to your survey data. We will then analyse the pseudonymized linked datasets so as to understand what determines graduates’ career choices and how these change over time.
Is the study confidential?All survey information will be treated as highly confidential. Research results that we include in reports to decision makers, or in journal articles or at conferences, will be reported in aggregate and no identifying information will be revealed. We upload research results to our RCSI Health Workforce website: see here for example http://www.healthworkforceireland.com/.
What are the benefits from participating in MedTrack?The research findings will inform medical workforce planners about the experiences of interns, their career intentions and their reasons for choosing particular specialities. We are committed to using the findings to support policy makers and workforce planners to develop strategies to retain and provide good career opportunities for medical graduates in the Irish health system.
Data Protection – your rights include having information on the following
MedTrack Participant: what am I consenting toNote: The introductory email, inviting you to participate in the MedTrack Intern Survey, specified the following: “By entering your data, you are agreeing to allow us to analyse your data and link it to data you have already supplied. The MedTrack website – see HERE – details your protections”. Below, we specify the consent items. If you have any queries, or feel that you are not in a position to give informed consent, please contact one of the named investigators on the study.
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Study title: MedTrack: Irelands Medical Career Tracking Study
WHAT I AM CONSENTING TO BY ENTERING DATA FOR THIS SURVEY
- That I have read and understood the Information Leaflet about this research project. I am aware of how I can ask questions and get answers to my satisfaction.
- That I understand that I don’t have to take part in this study and that I can opt out at any time. I understand that I don’t have to give a reason for opting out and I understand that opting out won’t affect my relationship with the HSE or RCSI in any way.
- That I am aware of the potential risks and benefits of this research study.
- That I am aware that I can download or request and obtain a copy of this Information Leaflet for my records.
- That I am aware that by entering data I am consenting to my data being processed (analysed) as part of this research study; and that I can withdraw consent at any time.
- That I am aware that by entering data I am consenting to my data being linked with data from my baseline survey for the purposes of data processing / analysis. I am also aware that I can withhold and/or withdraw consent at any time to data linkage and processing.
- I give informed consent to have my data processed as part of this research study, as outlined here and in the information sheet above.
STORAGE AND FUTURE USE OF INFORMATION
- I give permission for the data I provide to be stored for possible future data linkage activities, e.g. to identify if my future specialty decisions corresponded with the preferences I expressed in the Intern Survey, without further consent being required, but only if the research is approved by a Research Ethics Committee.
- I give permission to be contacted one more time, while reserving the right not to participate in a further survey..
