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Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy
CDC provides technical support and education to CDC employees, grantees, partners, and state, Tribal, and local health departments on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and other federal privacy laws.
Confidentiality
Under section 301(d) of the Public Health Service Act, Certificates of Confidentiality (CoC) protect the privacy of research subjects by prohibiting disclosure of identifiable, sensitive research information to anyone not connected to the research, except when the subject consents or in a few other specific situations. CDC-funded researchers are automatically issued a CoC through their award. Other Department of Health and Human Services agencies issue CoCs to researchers they fund.
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In accordance with section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act, the Privacy and Confidentiality Unit (PCU) implements agency assurance of
Confidentiality (AoC) protection for public health activities conducted by CDC staff or contractors that involve the collection or maintenance of identifiable information. This protection allows CDC programs to assure individuals and institutions involved in non-research activities (e.g., surveillance) that those conducting the activity will protect the confidentiality of the identifiable data collected.