Informed Consent Policy

Patient privacy is paramount. Any manuscript containing identifiable human data – including photographs, radiographs, genetic pedigrees, case details (age, rare disease, geographic location) that could identify an individual – requires explicit written informed consent.

Requirements:

• Consent must be obtained before manuscript submission.

• Upload the signed consent form as a supplementary file during submission.

• During peer review, the consent form is redacted (patient name, signature, identifier) to maintain privacy while proving consent exists.

• The consent form is not published; only the statement that consent was obtained appears in the manuscript.

When consent is not required:

• De-identified data (e.g., large cohort studies where cells/values cannot be traced to individuals)

• Publicly available datasets

• Cadaveric studies (institutional policy still applies)

Special cases – minors or cognitively impaired adults:

• Consent from a parent or legal guardian, plus assent from the individual if capable.

HRA guidance:
The journal follows the UK Health Research Authority’s consent and confidentiality principles, which exceed many national standards.