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Linked samples

Are there special protections for linked samples? Typically, the code number and the corresponding medical record number or name are stored in a locked cabinet,or password-protected database behind a firewall, which only a very few repository staff members have access to. This allows certain staff members to collect medical data associated with a code number for a sample. No one person has access to the tissue, the code number, the donor identifier, and the medical record.

Another common system for protecting donor privacy is the inclusion of a third-party ("coding agency" or "escrow company") that holds the "link", i.e. the code number and corresponding identifier(s). In this scenario, no one at the medical center or the repository has the ability to match the sample or clinical data with the donor.