Participant Privacy, Confidentiality & Data Security

Completed surveys are submitted directly to Cody Underwood, CPA, in his role as project lead for RM Advisory, LLC, the independent third-party firm engaged by Fix SLP to administer the survey.RM Advisory is responsible for survey administration, participant communications, data collection, validation, management, storage, protection, analysis, and reporting.

No. The SPEAK Project is not being conducted as an IRB-approved human-subjects research study and does not have an IRB approval number. This is an independent economic data-collection initiative designed to collect and aggregate information about the costs of providing speech-language pathology services for cost analysis, benchmarking, reimbursement analysis, policy, education, and advocacy purposes.The project is not being conducted through a university or research institution, and IRB oversight is not being used for this project.Participant confidentiality and data protection are instead addressed through the project's independent third-party data administration process.

No identifiable participant data are provided to Fix SLP or the SPEAK Project.Each survey submission is assigned a unique, randomly generated survey identifier. The confidential key connecting survey identifiers to individual respondents is maintained exclusively by RM Advisory and is not shared with Fix SLP or any outside party.Before any survey data are shared with Fix SLP or other authorized project stakeholders, identifying information and other characteristics reasonably capable of identifying a respondent, provider, organization, practice, or facility are removed.

Access to identifiable survey information is limited to authorized RM Advisory personnel with a legitimate business need related to survey collection, management, validation, and analysis.RM Advisory maintains administrative, technical, and procedural safeguards throughout the survey process to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and security of submitted information.

Survey data are maintained under the custody and control of RM Advisory, LLC, which is responsible for the storage and protection of submitted information.The confidential survey identifier key remains under the exclusive control of RM Advisory. Fix SLP does not maintain or have access to that key.

Fix SLP and the SPEAK Project receive only data from which identifying information and characteristics reasonably capable of identifying an individual respondent, provider, organization, practice, or facility have been removed.​Fix SLP does not receive the confidential survey identifier key necessary to connect the de-identified data back to an individual participant.

Survey findings will be reported only in aggregate, summarized, or statistical formats designed to prevent identification of individual respondents or participating organizations.

Published and shared survey results will not identify individual participants, providers, practices, facilities, or organizations.​Individual survey responses will not be attributed to or presented in a manner that identifies a specific participant. The confidential identifier key necessary to connect survey identifiers with respondents remains exclusively with RM Advisory.

De-identified and aggregated survey data may be used for purposes related to the SPEAK Project, including cost and utilization analysis, reimbursement analysis, benchmarking, research, advocacy, policy development, education, publication, and other lawful project purposes.​The goal is to develop credible economic data about the actual cost of providing speech-language pathology services that can be used to better inform reimbursement and policy discussions.No provider-specific, facility-specific, practice-specific, organization-specific, or respondent-identifiable information will be disclosed, published, or released without the express written consent of the affected party.

Participation in the survey does not give an individual participant an ownership interest in the resulting dataset, aggregated data, analyses, reports, benchmarks, findings, or other materials developed from the survey.​As described in the survey materials, the compiled survey dataset and resulting aggregated or de-identified datasets, analyses, reports, benchmarks, findings, and derivative materials are the property of Fix SLP, LLC.

Participants with questions about survey administration, confidentiality, data handling, or security are encouraged to contact the independent survey administrator directly before submitting their information.​Cody Underwood, CPAProject Lead, RM Advisory, LLCRM-SPEAKProject@richeymay.com