Health Data Oversight Committee

Complete the HDOC Intake form. If you have any questions, contact the HDOC Committee Chair, Ron Skillens, rskillensjr@health.ucsd.edu.

HDOC approval does not equate to an overall project/initiative approval. Most aspects of an overall project/initiative approval are outside of HDOC scope, and can include IT support, project management, regulatory and compliance considerations, analytics evaluation, procurement processes, considerations related to clinical and operational implementation, and funding. 

If you are requesting to share "health data" from UCSD Health as part of research with any third party, regardless of whether the data is identified or de-identified.

"Health Data" includes two categories: Source Health Data, which is the primary and original data set, and Derived Health Data, which represents some transformation of the original source data.

1. Source Health Data is any information pertaining to the health, care, and treatment of UC Health patients and plan members, which:
   • Results in a report used in treatment or monitoring of a patient or;
   • Generates a claim or bill for services provided or;
   • Is used for operations, financial management, population health activities, or quality metrics.
2. Derived Health Data is any derivation of source Health Data irrespective of how trivial or complex the derivations may be.

Exclusion:

For purposes of these guidelines, research data created exclusively for a sponsored clinical research study pursuant to Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and collected pursuant to a patient authorization or consent that is approved by the IRB is not Health Data. Disclosure of such research data to the sponsor would be governed by law and existing UC policy, not these guidelines. However, instances of such data that are contained in the medical record (in whatever form) are Health Data within the scope of this governance framework and require HDOC review and approval.

In addition, clinical trial data that is considered excluded from the Health Data definition and out of scope is limited only to the data acquired as part of the IRB‐specified clinical trial. Any other Health Data associated with the subjects participating in that clinical trial will be considered Health Data as defined above. Research data that is generated pursuant to a protocol that is exempt or excluded from full IRB review, or involves a waiver of authorization, will be considered Health Data and within scope of this governance framework.

This often depends on the nature of the sharing (identified vs. de-identified data). The HDOC meets monthly but often adjudicates low-risk requests (ie, de-identified data to be shared with another academic institution) through an expedited process.

2025 HDOC meeting dates:

Yes, data sharing with an external entity requires a data use agreement (DUA) between UCSD and the external entity. This is done by the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCGA). OCGA staff work closely with the committee and often coordinate requests to HDOC for data sharing. Contact OCGA (ocgainfo@ucsd.edu) as soon as you are aware that the research project will require data sharing with an external entity.

No, sharing of health data between UC campuses is accomplished through an intra-UC process managed locally by the Office of Grants and Contracts (OCGA).

Contact the HDOC committee Chair, Ron Skillens rskillensjr@health.ucsd.edu

UC Health Data Governance Task Force Reports:

• 2018 President Drake’s Ad Hoc Task Force on Health Data Governance (PDF) (login required)
• 2024 Letter from President Drake- Health Data Governance Task Force Report (PDF) (login required)