Penn State Health Policy CR604 – Management of Human Subjects Research Protections During and After Implementation of Epic – took effect on October 31, 2026. This policy establishes requirements and responsibilities related to the use of Epic for research activities, including recruitment, SlicerDicer access, and eConsent. The policy also includes guidance regarding situations when IRB approval is required and when certain activities may occur without prior IRB approval.
A summary document – What Study Teams Need to Know – is available to assist investigators with implementation. Researchers should note that policy flexibilities apply only when Penn State serves as the IRB of Record. Projects relying on an external IRB must obtain all required external IRB approvals and institutional approvals before using Epic research functions.