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Health Research
Health research aims to find better ways to treat, prevent and cure disease.
This vital component of healthcare can take multiple forms and present a variety of risks and opportunities. Whether it is a clinical trial, secondary data research, research ethics board protocol review, or a material transfer agreement, we keep the aims of the study top of mind while advising researchers, funders, and health care organizations. We also advise on deidentification of data for research purposes, and questions of research versus quality.
Our services include:
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Agreements - Material transfer, clinical trial, data sharing, basic science
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Research ethics board advice
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Research misconduct
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Protocol reviews
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Informed consents
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Deidentified data
Connect with our team
Mary Jane Dykeman
Samara Starkman
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Our People
Meet the dedicated team behind INQ.
BS, MHA, LLB
PARTNER
Tricia Ralph
Contact
Practices
Freedom of Information
Incident Response
Risk Management
Health Privacy Matters
Tricia is a Partner at INQ Law. She concentrates her practice on access to information, data governance, privacy and data protection. From her former role as Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia, as well as her experience working for the Information and Privacy Commissioner for both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Tricia has significant knowledge in the application and enforcement of privacy and access laws. Prior to that, she focused her practice on health and privacy law.
Tricia has a history of taking a pragmatic approach to access and privacy matters. She has focused on developing strong, productive, and collaborative relationships with countless key stakeholders. She brings a strategic and plain language approach to providing advice to organizations.
In her former Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia role, Tricia played a leading role in shaping access and privacy laws. She drafted several submissions on legislative change in Nova Scotia. She authored more than 80 access and privacy reports during her time as regulator.
Tricia also has extensive litigation experience from her previous role as legal counsel with the Government of the Northwest Territories and has appeared before the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories, the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories, and the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories.
Tricia is a sought-after public speaker and has spoken at many conferences and events, including at the International Association of Privacy Professionals, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Health Information Management Association. She has frequently been quoted by the Globe and Mail, CBC and the Canadian Press.
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Recent Experience
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Created tools and guidelines for the public on their rights and obligations with respect to access and privacy laws
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Created tools and guidelines for public bodies and municipalities on their obligations with respect to access and privacy laws
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Designed and implemented comprehensive procedural guidelines for hearings under access to information laws
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Conducted written hearings regarding withholding of information under access to information laws, including assessing submissions and drafting comprehensive review reports
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Conducted written hearings regarding privacy breaches, including assessing submissions and drafting comprehensive investigation reports