Ethics
Below are all SHaRP TA resources related to ethics.
Brief Overview of Data Privacy & Security Considerations at Harm Reduction Programs (last updated: May 23, 2024)
This document introduces issues data privacy and security considerations for SSPs and harm reduction programs, including the defining anonymous services and confidential services, a brief overview of HIPAA and covered entities, good practices for data privacy and security, considerations for linkage to care data, and considerations when reporting out data
Good Practices and Ethical Data Collection at Harm Reduction Programs: A Brief Summary (last updated: June 28, 2023)
This guidance is for harm reduction programs and for funders and others who require data from programs. This is a brief summary of good and ethical data collection and data use practices in harm reduction programs. The guidance may help programs evaluate their data collection and use practices as well as help funders and others who require harm reduction data to review which data they require.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Guidance for Harm Reduction Programs (last updated: October 28, 2023)
This document is to help harm reduction programs understand what an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is, what IRBs do, and when to submit a data collection plan to an IRB. We provide an overview of IRBs, explain what it means to collect data from human subjects, discuss the benefits of using an IRB, offer ways to access an IRB, and tell you what to expect when submitting for IRB review.
Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data Collection and Use at Syringe Services Programs (last updated: March 27, 2023)
This document provides a brief overview of some informal approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis. Specifically, this document focuses on suggestions for how to create potential systems for informal qualitative data collection and analysis at syringe services programs (SSPs), including how to develop an overall objective for data collection. By “informal” data collection, we mean data that can be largely generated from routine service interactions as opposed to formal research activities, such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, or community based participatory research.
Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data at SSPs: Video Training
Since the development of the Leveraging Informal Qualitative Data at SSPs guidance document, we’ve led multiple online and in-person trainings of the content. On this page we have video recordings of the training materials. The videos are divided into 5 sections, with each section containing one or more videos. We recommend that you watch videos in order.
Participant Input in Harm Reduction Programs (last updated: March 27, 2023)
This short document offers an overview of participant input at SSPs and a range of resources for harm reduction programs to consult when building or changing their participant input processes.
Qualitative Data Quality at Harm Reduction Programs
Qualitative data (e.g., staff notes, comments cards from participants, focus-group discussions, etc.) can play an important role in a syringe service program’s (SSPs) overall monitoring and evaluation strategy. Many programs have qualitative data they have amassed, but it is not clear what it could be used for. Whether you’re collecting new qualitative data, or analyzing pre-existing data, it’s important that the qualitative data you set out to use is comprehensible, detailed, and actionable. This webinar recording (September 19th, 2024) from the SHaRP team reviews and discusses common sources of qualitative data at SSPs, identifies some good practices for collecting qualitative data, and determines how to set an objective using and assess the quality of pre-existing qualitative data.
Using M&E to Better Serve Your Community: A Four-Part Webinar Series for Health Departments and SSPs in collaboration with the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO). These webinars, held over the course of 2021 and 2022 covered topics including client-centered models for M&E, statewide data systems, data dashboards for M&E, and the launch of the Point in Time Survey Toolkit.
Using Unique Identifiers Within Syringe Services Programs (last updated: March 10, 2023)
This guide is intended for syringe services programs (SSPs) and SSP funders to support their understanding of data collection and monitoring. It provides an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of implementing unique identifiers (UID) as a method of data collection. The guide includes considerations for SSPs considering implementing a UID system and considerations for funders who are considering requiring individual-level data from grant recipients.