Which condition allows REB to waive the consent requirement for secondary use of identifiable information?

• A. Secondary use research involves using data that was originally collected for another purpose.
• B. Where research involves the secondary use of non-identifiable information, neither consent nor REB review is required.
• C. REBs may waive the consent requirement for research involving secondary use of identifiable information if the researcher satisfies six conditions.
• D. Consent must always be obtained for any secondary use of identifiable information.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that consent for the secondary use of identifiable information can be waived by the REB, but only when a researcher meets several specific criteria that protect privacy and balance risks and benefits. In this case, the statement says that REBs may waive the consent requirement if the researcher satisfies six conditions. These conditions are designed to ensure the use of identifiable data is essential to the research, the privacy risk is minimized, obtaining consent is impractical, and strong safeguards are in place to protect confidentiality (for example, restricted access, de-identification where possible, and clear data governance). When those criteria are met, waiving consent can enable important research while still safeguarding participants.

The other options don’t fit this mechanism. One describes secondary use in general terms rather than the waiver path. Another incorrectly implies that non-identifiable information requires no REB review or consent at all. The last option states consent must always be obtained, which conflicts with the waiver provision.