Frequently Asked Questions
How does it benefit me?
Your participation will help us understand how genes relate to health problems. This could lead to new treatments for certain diseases through future research.
You will also receive your personal results and learn about:
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Your ancestry
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Any specific findings from a set selected genes that can impact your current or future health. This means that if there is a variation in one of the genes, your physician will be able to use this information in your health management.
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This study is also creating a biorepository, and any specific research on the samples and data that we gather, will be communicated to you separately. All personal information will be removed before sharing your sample or data (with your permission)
Your privacy is very important to us and we will take all precautions to protect your data and samples. Here are a few of the steps we will take:
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Information we collect will be stored on protected computers at UCSF. Only authorized personnel will be able to access the information.
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We will remove your name and other direct identifiers (like your Social Security number, date of birth) from your information and replace them with a code. There is a master list linking codes to names. This list is kept secure, and very few people have access to it.
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To work with your health information, researchers must promise not to try to find out who you are.
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We will tell you if there is a data breach.
Still, loss of privacy is a risk of taking part in the 3D Health Study. Even without your name, there is a chance someone could figure out who you are. Your information could be misused. We believe the chance of this is very small, but not zero.
How is my data protected?
1-800-345-5676
The learnings from this study will help in:
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Incorporating diverse genetic make-ups in research
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Understanding which diseases are more common in a particular ethnic background? And why?
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How to better communicate genetic findings in different populations from different cultural backgrounds?
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Inform doctors and other practitioners on how to better care for patients from different ethnicity
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Understand the barriers in learning new health information