What is a Data Use Agreement?

A Data Use Agreement (DUA) is a specific type of agreement that is required under the HIPAA Privacy Rule and must be entered into before there is any use or disclosure of a Limited Data Set (defined below) from a medical record to an outside institution or party for one of the three purposes

• research,
• public health, or
• health care operations purposes.  

A Limited Data Set is still Protected Health Information (PHI), and for that reason, HIPAA Covered Entities like Texas A&M University-Kingsville must enter into a DUA with any institution, organization or entity to whom TAMUK discloses a Limited Data Set.

TAMUK Data Usage Agreement sample template