All medical practices perform studies to fulfill quality assurance requirements.
Similarly, group practices and individual physicians often research their own procedures and outcomes for operational and administrative purposes. It is not necessary to notify the OHSR of these internal studies. These studies do not require any additional activity by PBRN physicians and their staff, nor do they require contacting patients. Regarding the database, physicians, of course, will always have access to data pertaining to their own patients. Researchers who require access only to the clinical-research database must work with the OHSR when data requirements include people other than the researchers' own patients.