Recontact

Recontact refers to the act of contacting someone again after an initial outreach or engagement. It is used to update information, collect follow-up data, or share new findings or opportunities. Recontact can occur in various settings, including research, clinical practice, and business interactions.

In research, recontact is common in longitudinal studies, registries, and biobanks. It enables updated consent, follow-up data collection, recontact for new studies, or dissemination of results that may affect participants. In clinical genetics and other areas of medicine, recontacting patients or families may occur when reinterpretation of test results becomes available, when new therapies emerge, or when additional information could change management or prevention strategies.

Ethical and legal considerations are central to recontact. Questions arise about whether initial consent covers future contact, what methods are appropriate, and how privacy and data protection rules apply. There are also resource and workload implications for institutions, and potential concerns about distress or autonomy if recontact occurs without clear justification. Governance typically involves ethics review, explicit policies on scope and frequency of recontact, and transparent communication about options to opt in or out.

Methods for recontact range from updating contact details and using secure patient portals or registries to periodic outreach and consent refreshment. Challenges include keeping contact information current, ensuring data accuracy, and balancing the benefits of timely information with respect for individuals’ preferences. When implemented thoughtfully, recontact can improve care, support informed decision-making, and enhance research quality.