It’s important that our participants understand how their personal information will be collected, used, disclosed and retained by the BC Generations Project. Participation is completely voluntary and consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Informed Consent
Before joining the Project, all participants were required to sign the BC Generations Project’s Participant Information and Consent Form with an electronic or written signature.
By giving consent, participants permit the BC Generations Project to collect questionnaire information, biological samples and body measurements. They allow the BC Generations Project to store any samples and health-related information, in a coded form that does not identify individuals, for use in health research projects. Participants agree that they may be re-contacted for follow-up research, and that the BC Generations Project may store and use their data until the year 2058.
Consent also allows the BC Generations Project access to past and future health administrative data that is routinely collected for research and statistical purposes. This information will be provided through linkages with the Ministry of Health Services, the Vital Statistics Agency, and the BC Cancer Registry (within the BC Cancer Agency). Examples of such information would include records of physician visits, hospital admissions, cancer diagnoses, deaths, etc. This information will be linked with data and specimens from the BC Generations Project to study the causes of disease.
Read the BC Generations Project Participant Information and Consent Form for a complete and comprehensive description including security methods taken, your rights as a participant and how your samples and data will be stored and accessed.