Effective January 2023, Brown University does not provide a dedicated HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom.
Clinical services provided to Brown students through Brown University Health & Wellness are protected by FERPA, not HIPAA, and health-related research under Brown's IRB is not subject to HIPAA requirements. The Office of General Counsel, the Division of Biology and Medicine, the Warren Alpert Medical School, and Brown University Health & Wellness are in agreement.
Brown's Zoom services should never be used for commercial clinical practice outside of Brown University's student-facing Health & Wellness offices, nor for any health-related research under other IRBs than Brown. This includes IRBs from Lifespan/Brown University Health, Care New England, and other institutions and providers. This is based on the terms of our Zoom licensing.
If you encounter any issues logging into Zoom, please do not hesitate to reach out to the OIT Service Center by phone (401-863-4357), chat (https://helpchat.brown.edu) or email (help@brown.edu)
Frequently Asked Questions
“My research study received IRB approval under the condition that the interviews and meetings were conducted with HIPAA Zoom accounts before January 2023. Will I need to submit changes to the IRB to continue research?”
Please contact the Brown IRB regarding the specifics of your project.
“Our staff conducts Zoom sessions with research participants sharing personal health information. Does the main Brown Zoom service meet requirements to continue those?”
Yes, as long as the research is conducted under Brown University's IRB. If it is under any other IRB you should be using Zoom services provided by that IRB's institution or enterprise.
“Our graduate/medical students use Zoom accounts to meet with patients as part of their training program’s curriculum. Does the main Brown Zoom service meet requirements to continue those?”
Yes, if this is work conducted as part of the teaching and/or research programs of Brown University, you are OK to use standard Brown Zoom service.
Updated 7/24/2024