Under Massachusetts law, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) may disclose facility records of a former institutional resident who has been deceased more than 50 years to a person engaged in “academic research.” To qualify as a person engaged in academic research, the requestor must be able to show that they are engaged in research under the auspices of an accredited college or university at the masters or postgraduate academic level.
To obtain facility records for a deceased resident, please complete and sign this attestation form. DDS will review your completed record request form to determine if sufficient information has been provided or if additional verification is required. If your record request is approved, DDS will perform a reasonably diligent search for responsive records to fulfill your request. DDS may or may not find responsive records.
Researchers Seeking More Information: Please note that as alternative to requesting information using this form, a researcher may request access to current and former DDS resident records by submitting an application to the DDS Research Review Committee (RRC), which is operated in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. Research is defined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule as, “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” See 45 CFR 164.501. Researchers may also request de-identified information (i.e., redaction of individually identifiable information). The DDS regulations concerning research can be found at 115 CMR 10.00. More information about the RRC, including an RRC Application, can be found on the DDS website: DDS Research Review Committee (RRC) | Mass.gov.