Research Consent

Part of Spot Health’s mission is to help improve health and wellbeing through a better understanding of genetics and other biomarkers. As a result, research into how these markers affect health and wellbeing is an important part of that mission.

Here are some highlights of our Research Consent Document. Please read the entire consent document below before making your decision to participate.

Summary:

The purpose of this research is to make new discoveries about genetics and other biomarkers behind diseases and traits.
If you agree to this consent, you allow Spot Health researchers to use certain information (including your test results and your responses to research surveys) to study a wide variety of research topics.
To protect your privacy, Spot Health conducts research with information that has been stripped of your name and contact information and combined with similar information from many research participants.
Some Spot Health research is conducted in collaboration with third parties, such as non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical companies, or academic institutions. We may share summaries of research results, which do not identify any particular individual, with qualified research collaborators and in scientific publications.
It is unlikely that you will directly benefit from your participation, though you and others may benefit in the future from discoveries that lead to healthcare advances or improvements to our product or services. There is a very small risk that someone could get access to your Personal Information (information that can be used to identify you) without your permission in the event of a privacy breach.
Taking part in this research is completely voluntary, and you can change your consent choice at any time without affecting your access to our product or services.

Purpose: Why is Spot Health doing research?

Spot Health aims to make and support scientific discoveries about genetics and other biomarkers behind diseases and traits. To do this, we conduct our own research and support the work of other researchers around the world by collaborating and publishing our findings in scientific journals. Results of our research may be used to help develop new ways to diagnose and treat disease, or new reports and features for our product or services.

What does it mean to take part in Spot Health Research?

If you choose to take part in Spot Health Research, you may be asked to take surveys or provide additional information about yourself. You choose which surveys to take, which information to provide, and which questions to answer.

Spot Health Research is open-ended: we may inform you of new surveys and research opportunities as they are added. We may also invite you to participate in specific studies based on the information you’ve previously provided. We use routine communication methods to inform you of research opportunities. We may send you email invites and/or notifications in your account or on your mobile device.
When Spot Health conducts studies on sensitive research topics, you will be provided additional information to help you decide whether you want to take part in this research.
Depending on the research activity, we may or may not provide you with compensation for your time. For some longer or more involved research activities, cash equivalents, or charitable donations may be provided as compensation. There is no cost to take part in this research.
Some Spot Health Research may be sponsored by or conducted in collaboration with third parties, such as non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical companies, or academic institutions whose additional expertise and/or resources can help us make important discoveries.
Sometimes research discoveries lead to products or inventions that have value if they are made or sold. In situations where your information contributed to an invention or product that profited Spot Health or any of its research collaborators, you will not receive any financial benefits.

How is my privacy protected?

Spot Health uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to protect your information. We regularly review and improve our privacy and security practices to help ensure the safety of your information. These practices include, but are not limited to, the following:

Spot Health research analyses are conducted with information that has been stripped of your identifying registration information. Your contact information may be used to communicate with you.
When we publish research results or share results with collaborators, we only publish or share summary information that does not identify any particular individual.
All Spot Health employees are trained on how to work with human research participants, and Spot Health researchers receive additional training on how to conduct research responsibly.

Who will have access to my information?

Outside of Spot Health:

We may share summaries of research results, which do not identify any particular individual, with qualified research collaborators and in scientific publications. We will not ask you for separate permission every time we share summary information with qualified research collaborators or publish in scientific journals.

We may share information with our ethics review board (also called an Institutional Review Board or “IRB”) and other agencies to maintain our compliance, or as otherwise required by law.

Within Spot Health:

Spot Health researchers who conduct analyses will have access to your test results and your responses to research surveys but not to your identifying information.

What are the benefits and risks of taking part in Spot Health Research?

Benefits:

You will not receive any direct benefits by taking part in Spot Health’s Research. For example, we will not give you individual results about your genetics or health risks that we learn through Spot Health Research. You may, however, receive indirect benefits:

Sometime in the future, you or others may benefit indirectly from Spot Health Research discoveries, such as those that improve our product or services offerings or contribute to ways to prevent and treat disease.
By taking surveys you may learn about Spot Health’s Research findings. We may also let you know which publications you’ve contributed to and provide you with periodic updates on the research.

Risks:

Discomfort: Some survey questions or data comparisons may make you uncomfortable.
Privacy: Although Spot Health has strict policies and practices in place to minimize the risk of a breach, there is a very small risk that a breach of your Personal Information can happen.
There may be additional risks to participation that are currently unforeseeable.

Can I change my mind?

Your participation in the Spot Health Research study is completely voluntary, so you may choose to not participate. If you change your mind about participating, you can change your consent choice by emailing support@spotdx.com at any time. If you withdraw your consent, Spot Health will prevent your test results and your responses to research surveys from being used in new Spot Health Research initiated after 30 days from when we receive your request.
There is no penalty for choosing not to give consent or for withdrawing from Spot Health Research. You will not lose any benefits you receive by being a Spot Health customer.
If you choose not to give consent for Spot Health Research, your test results and your responses to research surveys may still be used for other purposes, such as to improve our product and services.
Your participation in Spot Health Research could be terminated without your consent in the case of a transfer of ownership of Spot Health, or termination of Spot Health products or services.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about Spot Health Research or if you have a question about subjects' rights, please contact support@spotdx.com.