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Receive $25 for peeing in a cup, donating blood, and much more
By Isabella Cheng,
2024-07-12
SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) — Shreveport’s Lifeshare Blood Center is offering residents $25 for sharing ‘samples’ (urine and blood) with their latest partner, the National Institute of Health, to further medical research.
LifeShare states that the collaboration offers Shreveport residents and blood donors a unique opportunity to positively impact the health outcomes of Americans for generations.
According to the news release, the All of Us Research Program ‘is building one of the most expansive health information databases of its kind that will help researchers learn more about how biology, lifestyle, and environment influence health.’
Dr. Chad A. Douglas, President and CEO at LifeShare Blood Center. “By joining the All of Us Research Program, our blood donors and community members can play a crucial role in creating a comprehensive health database that may drive future medical breakthroughs.”
All of Us notes that healthcare is often ‘one-size-fits-all. ‘ But imagine a future where your healthcare is tailored to you. We want to make that future possible .’
They state that the program will be the largest health research project, with over 800,000 individuals participating to create a more diverse healthcare database.
Shreveport’s LifeShare encourages the community to register. After their visit, participants will receive $25, which includes consenting to several components, DNA results, and electronic medical records.
Registers must be 18 and above.
The All of Us Research Program ( All of Us ) notes that it is a long-term 10-year program, and it may use social media or a public database to keep individuals’ contact information updated.
All of Us notes that individuals with a criminal record cannot participate. However, they hope this rule changes in the future.
Participants can share their electronic health records, including data about:
their health conditions,
test results,
medical procedures,
images (like X-rays), and
medicines they take.
All of Us states that they may invite participants to participate in activities such as getting measured by a physician, donating blood and saliva samples, and sharing data from their fitness trackers (including mobile apps, web apps, or computer software).
Individuals who choose to opt out of sharing their electronic health records. However, once researchers have the data/samples, they cannot ‘get it back.’
Physical measurements include height and weight, hips and waist, blood pressure, and heart rate. They note that this data will help researchers understand how differences impact individuals’ health.
They emphasize that participants can refuse ‘any measurement at any time.’
All of Us notes that other health data, including environmental and pharmacy records, may be used. Environmental factors such as where individuals live and work, how polluted the area is, and proximity to the grocery store or park are important.
Who can access the ‘All of Us Research Program’ medical data?
AOURP emphasizes that the data does not include individuals’ names or other data that directly identifies you. Everyone will be able to use the public database.
The registration portal states, “They may work for commercial companies, like drug companies. They may be citizens or community scientists. Citizen and community scientists are people who do science in their spare time.”
They say AOURP will use their data to create a public database for their researchers. ‘The researchers’ studies may be on nearly any topic.’
According to AOURP, participants will have access to all of their data and will be able to see the studies’ results and share them with their families or healthcare providers.
What are the privacy risks associated with participating in the All of Us program?
The website addresses the potential risks and states that it is working with top privacy experts and using highly advanced security tools to keep patrons’ data safe.
AOURP states that the data is stored on computers with ‘extra security protection,’ and only a special team has clearance to process and track it. If there is a security breach, they will notify the individuals impacted.
They underscore that ‘All of Us is not medical care, advice, or treatment. Participants must be 18 or above.
For more information about participating in the program, they encourage contacting LifeShare Blood Center, visiting JoinAllofUs.org/LifeShare , or calling 318.632.7940.
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