An article Sunday omitted information that would have clarified a proposal by Johns Hopkins Medicine involving new federal privacy rules. The article should have said the new rules, as described on a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site, permit researchers to examine patient records to identify and contact prospective research subjects without their consent.
The article also should have said that Hopkins officials were concerned that this interpretation might not be consistent with the regulations. Therefore, they are seeking federal clarification that they can use a written authorization form to contact patients about recruitment for various studies.
