The implications of mandatory notification for clinician-researchers involved in observational research in health services

Abstract

The 'Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009' (Part 8, Sections 140 and 141) enshrines mandatory notification in the new national registration framework. As registered health practitioners, clinician-researchers are bound by the notification requirements. This raises the question of whether mandatory notification has implications for observational research in health services that is conducted by clinician-researchers. In particular, how likely is it that these requirements will lead to reclassification of one's observations from "research data" to "notification evidence"?