Frequently Asked Questions

It’s important that everyone is represented in health research.

Diversity matters. Your genetic makeup is unique and important. If only certain groups participate in research, then only certain groups can benefit from the findings.

When researchers study diverse groups of people, they can learn how treatments, therapies or preventive measures affect people from different environments and backgrounds.

All adult Kaiser members can participate in the Research Bank. The more members who join, the more powerful health discoveries will be.

See why members have joined.

If you join the Research Bank, you are helping researchers and doctors learn more about health and diseases. Your information may lead to better treatments for people and communities in the future.

1. Click the Get Started button, log in and read the consent form.
2. If you agree to participate, submit your consent.
3. We will place a blood draw order for you and send you an email with lab visit instructions once the order is ready
4. Visit your local Kaiser lab at any time to complete the blood draw. No appointment is needed. There is no co-pay for the KP Research Bank blood draw.
5. Complete a health and lifestyle survey before or after you provide a blood sample.

We may ask you to provide additional information in the future.  

If you join, you agree to share:

• Information from completed health surveys
• A small blood sample collected when you go to the lab
• Leftover samples taken from you during regular Kaiser care visits.
• Information from your past and future medical record

A clinical trial tests whether an intervention or medication is safe and effective. You might receive a medication, undergo a procedure, or have your health followed. In the KP Research Bank you will be asked to give one or more bio samples, such as a blood sample, complete health surveys, and share information from your medical record.

You are eligible to participate in the KP Research Bank:

• Even if you are not eligible for a clinical trial
• Whether or not you are participating in a clinical trial.
• All adult KP members are eligible to join the KP Research Bank

Blood contains a lot of information about how the human body works. For example, the DNA in blood contains genetic information, which researcher use to study how genes affect health and disease. Even small amounts of blood have enough DNA to use for research.  

You should not expect to get personal results from research done through the KP Research Bank. Researchers study bio samples and data from many people over many years before they know if the results have meaning. Research is not the same as medical care. If you have any health concerns, please talk to your doctor.

There is a very small chance that researchers could discover something that might be very important to your health. If this happens, KP researchers and doctors will work together to see if this could impact your medical care. If so, we will contact you to see if you want to learn more. We will not give the results to your doctor or put them in your medical record without your permission.

You will not be told which studies are using your samples and health information. However, you can find information about the studies that are being done.

Participating in the Research Bank does not involve the use of any medications, devices, or procedures.

The physical risks are small. When you give your blood sample, you may feel brief pain or have some bruising from the needle. Lightheadedness and fainting are also possible, but not likely.

The biggest risk is that someone could get access to the data you provided, despite best efforts to keep your stored information safe. The chance that this will happen is very small, but there is no guarantee that there is no risk. The KP Research Bank will make every reasonable effort to protect your privacy.

Providing your bio samples and health information will help scientists find new ways to prevent, discover, and treat health problems.

Can my participation affect my health care coverage or premiums?

No. The information you provide will only be used for approved research. It will never be used to increase your health insurance premiums or affect decisions about your health insurance coverage.

All adult Kaiser Permanente members, 18 or older, are eligible to join. 

Your Kaiser Permanente health plan membership agreement states that you may be contacted to participate in research. However, joining the KP Research Bank is your choice. If you do not want to be contacted in the future, please email us at ResearchBank@kp.org or call at 844-268-2947.

Yes! 

You cannot enroll in the Research Bank if you are not a current Kaiser member. However, if you are already a participant, your de-identified information and sample remain in the Research Bank.  

No. Joining is your choice. If you decide not to join now, or to withdraw your consent later, your decision will not affect your routine health care or health benefits. 

The KP Research Bank is a volunteer program. You can leave the program at any time. Leaving will not affect your Kaiser Permanente insurance or health care.

If you wish to withdraw, please notify the KP Research Bank by phone at 844-268-2947 or by email at ResearchBank@kp.org or in writing:

Kaiser Permanente Research Bank
One Kaiser Plaza, 22nd fl.
Oakland, CA 94612

Samples are kept in locked buildings and storage areas. Personal health information and data are stored on secure servers and computers protected through electronic safeguards.

When data is provided to researchers, your name and other personal identifying information are removed and assigned a unique code.

Only researchers with approved studies have access to the KP Research Bank data. Insurance companies, employers, even family cannot get your information.

A Kaiser Permanente Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews all research studies before they start. Members of the IRB include health care providers, researchers, and community members.

All research activities are monitored by the IRB to make sure that regulations are followed, and ethical principles are met. The IRB makes sure that:

• The rights, safety, privacy, and dignity of all participants are protected.
• The benefits of the research outweigh the risks.
• The risks to people who participate are as low as possible.

The KP Research Bank has a Certificate of Confidentiality from the federal government (through the National Institutes of Health). Having the certificate means that no one can force the KP Research Bank to share information that may link to you. This includes a court subpoena by federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings.

The KP Research Bank has two Advisory Boards that offer guidance: a Community Advisory Board and a Scientific Advisory Board. Some board members are experts in research and ethics, others are leaders in the community or are KP members. The Advisory Boards provide guidance about topics such as members’ data privacy and informed consent.

There are also laws in place to protect you. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is a federal law. The law makes it illegal for employers and health insurers to use certain kinds of information about your genes to discriminate against you.