A biomedical research permissions ontology: cognitive and knowledge representation considerations

Abstract

In designing a comprehensive mechanism for managing informed consents and permissions for biomedical research involving human participants, a significant effort is dedicated to the development of standardized classification of these consents and permissions. In this paper, we describe the considerations and implications of this effort that should be addressed during the development of a Biomedical Research Permissions Ontology (RPO). It is hoped that this standardization will allow disparate research institutions to pool research data and associated consents and permissions in order to facilitate collaborative translational research projects across multiple institutions and subsequent new breakthroughs in medicine while providing: 1) essential built in protections for privacy and confidentiality of research participants and 2) a mechanism for insuring that researchers adhere to patient's intent whether to participate in research or not.