Chunk #101 — PART II. CORE QUESTIONS — F. What is the Content of those Responsibilities? Four Issues and Who Should Address Them — Step 4: Recontacting the contributor to offer the finding
In the biobank context, there is an additional important question of whether the biobank itself should recontact the contributor or this is best left to the primary research or collection site. Biobanks will vary in whether the biobank itself has any history of contact with the contributor and any ongoing relationship, or whether a separate primary research or collection site (such as a hospital or health care setting) is the entity with such a relationship. This makes it difficult to offer a uniform recommendation on who should conduct recontact. Deciding who should recontact the contributor should involve considering who has a history of contact with the contributor and who has the resources to provide an appropriate professional to conduct recontact. The questions of who should perform recontact and how should be anticipated in designing the biobank and its system of obtaining data and samples from primary researchers or collection sites. The agreements governing the collection and flow of data and samples to the biobank should address this recontact question, so it is clear who bears this responsibility.
