Data linkage ethics

All research projects using health data require approval from a recognised ethics committee.

This requirement aligns with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, which defines human participation in research as including the involvement of individuals, such as through access to their personal information.

The ethical approvals necessary to access data will vary and may depend on the specific data requested or the type of research being conducted.

WA Health Central Human Research Ethics Committee

The WA Health Central HREC is registered with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and is constituted in compliance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

For more information about the WA Health Central HREC, including the ethical applicaiton process and upcoming HREC meeting dates, please visit the WA Health Central HREC website.

Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee

Approval from the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) is required for projects that involve research in, or in relation to, Western Australia, when at least one of the following criteria applies:

• the research is related to health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is an explicit focus of all or part of the research
• data collection is explicitly directed at Aboriginal people
• research outcomes explicitly relate to Aboriginal people
• sub-group analyses are proposed that separately analyse Aboriginal people in the results
• the information, potential over-representation in the dataset, or geographic location has an impact on one or more Aboriginal communities
• Government Aboriginal health funds are a source of funding.

The WAAHEC is managed by the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA).