CVBio: Frequently Asked Questions

The Cardiovascular Biorepository (CVBio) at Massachusetts General Hospital helps researchers at the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center conduct research. The CVBio supports studies on genetic and other factors that can lead to heart and blood vessel diseases. If you join our biobank, our researchers will use samples of your blood and your medical history for research. By taking part in this project, you are helping efforts to predict, prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases for generations to come.

You can learn more about the CVBio and how to join in one of two ways:

• Enroll before or after your appointment with a Corrigan Minehan Heart Center provider, who may suggest participation in the biorepository with you, or
• Contacting the CVBio staff at 617-643-1699

If you decide to join the project, we will ask you to fill out a consent form. You will also need to provide some health information for our database. Our staff will take from you a small blood sample (3 ½ tablespoons). This blood sample and your health information will be stored by Mass General for future studies.

Joining this project is optional. Your choice to join will not affect the care you get at Mass General or other hospitals.

Learn more about the study and download our consent form.

We take patient privacy very seriously. After you join the CVBio, we will:

• Use your information for research only
• Keep your information private so that only researchers and certain staff can see it
• Keep your identity separate from research records. We will give each person’s sample a unique study number and the numbers will not be matched to identities

As part of the CVBio, we may:

• Use your Partners HealthCare medical records for research only
• Ask you in the future to provide more information or more blood samples or to participate in additional studies (you can always say no)

By joining the CVBio, you will help research that may improve health care for future generations. Your decision of whether or not to join the CVBio will not affect the care you receive at Mass General or other hospitals.

We do not expect to send any personal results to patients who join. However, we may send a letter updating participants on general results from research supported by the CVBio.

The main risk from joining this project is losing some of your privacy. We will protect your samples and information as best as we can. However, we cannot guarantee that your information will not be seen by others not part of our research team. We do not expect this to happen, though, as it is very unlikely.

If you choose to join, please read the consent form [pdf icon] fully and ask any questions that you may have beforehand. This form will fully explain all of the risks and gains of taking part in the project. It will also give more information about the types of research that your sample could be used for.