Research ethics

1. The codes we follow

HealthChorus is run by Research and Metric Corporation, which follows:

• the BHBIA Legal and Ethical Guidelines for Healthcare Market Research;
• the EphMRA Code of Conduct;
• the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics;
• the ISO 20252 standard for market research quality, and ISO 27001 for information security; and
• privacy law, including the GDPR, UK GDPR, India's DPDP Act and the CCPA.

2. Research, never promotion

We only run market research. No study will try to sell you a product, ask you to commit to prescribing or recommending anything, or lead to a sales call. We never pass your details to a sales team.

3. Your consent

Taking part is always your choice. Each invitation tells you what the study involves, how long it takes and the fee, before you start. You can stop at any time without giving a reason. Interview recordings, and sharing your name with a client, need your separate consent each time. You can see and change every consent you have given on your privacy page.

4. Who funds a study

Studies are often funded by pharmaceutical, medical device or healthcare companies. The company is not usually named during a study, so that knowing it does not affect your answers, but we never pretend a study is independent when it is not. If you would like to know more about who funded a study you took part in, ask our support team afterwards and we will tell you what the client allows.

5. Fair fees

Fees are payment for your time, set at fair market value for the time and expertise asked of you. They are fixed before a study starts and are never linked to what you prescribe, recommend, buy or use. Fees for patients and carers are kept proportionate, so that no one takes part just for the money. See the payment terms.

6. Your identity

Clients receive answers without your name, contact details, NPI or licence number, unless you agree otherwise for a particular study. We do not ask for anything that could identify a patient. We never sell personal information.

7. Safety reporting

If you mention a side effect or problem with a medicine or device in a study about it, we must pass it to the manufacturer. We tell you in advance when a study carries that duty. Read how adverse event reporting works.

8. Keeping data safe

Licence documents and safety reports are encrypted, and health information is kept apart and shown to staff only when needed. Staff use two-step sign-in, access is limited to the people who need it, and access to sensitive information is recorded. Members can turn on two-step sign-in too, and can download or delete their data at any time.

9. Raising a concern

If you think a study or anything we did fell short of these commitments, tell us at support@healthchorus.com, or about privacy at privacy@healthchorus.com. We reply to every concern and explain what we will do about it.