Informed Consent Policy

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, autonomy, and confidentiality of individuals whose personal, clinical, or identifiable information is included in submitted or published research.

The journal follows relevant guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) concerning informed consent, patient confidentiality, privacy, and the responsible publication of identifiable information.

1. General Principle

The data and information of individuals, including information obtained through a doctor–patient relationship, must be handled with the highest levels of confidentiality, discretion, and security.

Authors must ensure that information obtained from patients, research participants, medical records, healthcare providers, or other confidential sources is used and reported responsibly.

Publication of research must never unnecessarily compromise an individual's privacy or dignity.

2. Informed Consent for Research Participation

Where required by the study design and applicable ethical standards, researchers must obtain appropriate informed consent from participants before their participation in research.

Participants should receive sufficient information regarding:

• The purpose and nature of the research.
• Procedures involved.
• Potential risks and benefits.
• Use and handling of their data.
• Voluntary nature of participation.
• Their right to withdraw where applicable.
• Potential use of research findings for publication.

Consent must be obtained in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international requirements.

3. Consent for Publication

Informed consent to participate in research is not necessarily equivalent to consent for publication.

Where a manuscript contains information that could reasonably identify an individual, authors should obtain appropriate consent for publication where required.

This may apply to:

• Case reports.
• Clinical photographs.
• Diagnostic images.
• Videos.
• Detailed clinical histories.
• Genetic information.
• Rare conditions.
• Medical records.
• Other potentially identifiable personal information.

Consent for publication should be obtained before submission whenever possible.

4. Protection of Patient Confidentiality

Authors must make reasonable efforts to remove unnecessary identifying information from manuscripts.

The following should not be included unless scientifically necessary and appropriately consented:

• Full names.
• Initials.
• Hospital or medical record numbers.
• Personal addresses.
• Telephone numbers.
• Exact dates that could identify an individual.
• Unnecessary photographs.
• Identifiable facial images.
• Other unique personal identifiers.

The journal may require authors to modify or remove information that presents an unnecessary risk to privacy.

5. Doctor–Patient Confidentiality

Information obtained through a doctor–patient relationship is particularly sensitive and must be treated as confidential.

Authors must not disclose confidential clinical information merely because it is scientifically interesting or potentially useful to readers.

Where publication of such information is necessary, the authors must ensure that:

• Appropriate consent has been obtained where required.
• The information is limited to what is scientifically necessary.
• Identifying details are minimized.
• Confidentiality obligations are respected.

The journal reserves the right to request additional documentation or reject material that cannot be published ethically.

6. Consent for Case Reports and Clinical Images

Case reports and clinical images containing potentially identifiable information should be accompanied by appropriate consent for publication where required.

Consent should cover publication in the journal and, where applicable, dissemination through electronic databases, indexing services, repositories, and other scholarly platforms.

Authors should not assume that anonymization is sufficient where an individual could reasonably be recognized because of a rare condition, unusual circumstances, or combination of clinical details.

7. Children and Individuals Unable to Provide Consent

For minors or individuals who are unable to provide informed consent themselves, consent should be obtained from an appropriately authorized parent, guardian, or legally authorized representative, as required by applicable law and ethical standards.

Where individuals regain decision-making capacity, additional consent may be required where appropriate.

8. Withdrawal of Consent

Participants should be informed about the extent to which they may withdraw consent.

Authors and researchers should follow the conditions under which consent was originally obtained and applicable institutional and legal requirements.

Once an article has been published, complete removal of information may not always be technically or legally possible because the scholarly record may have been distributed, indexed, archived, or cited. Such circumstances should be considered when obtaining consent for publication.

9. Data Protection and Secure Handling

Authors are responsible for protecting personal and confidential information throughout the research and publication process.

Data should be:

• Collected and stored securely.
• Accessed only by authorized individuals.
• Appropriately anonymized or de-identified where possible.
• Transmitted through secure methods.
• Used only for legitimate research and publication purposes.

Authors must comply with applicable data-protection and privacy laws and institutional policies.

10. Ethical Review

Research involving human participants or identifiable personal information should receive appropriate review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee, or equivalent body, where required.

The manuscript should state:

• The name of the approving body.
• The approval/reference number where applicable.
• Whether informed consent was obtained.
• Whether consent was waived by the relevant ethics authority, where applicable.

The journal may request evidence of ethical approval or consent documentation.

11. Consent Waiver

In exceptional circumstances, an ethics committee or other authorized body may waive the requirement for informed consent.

Where a waiver has been granted, authors should clearly explain this in the manuscript and provide relevant information regarding the approving authority.

The journal does not assume that a consent waiver granted for research automatically constitutes permission for publication of identifiable information.

12. Use of Previously Collected or Secondary Data

Research using previously collected clinical data, medical records, databases, or biological materials must comply with the consent conditions and ethical approvals governing the original collection and subsequent use.

Authors should clarify whether:

• The data were anonymized.
• Consent was obtained.
• Consent was appropriately waived.
• Secondary use was authorized by an ethics committee or institution.

13. Editorial and Peer-Review Confidentiality

Confidential patient or participant information must also be protected during the submission and peer-review process.

Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose or use confidential information obtained through manuscript evaluation for purposes unrelated to the editorial process.

Authors should avoid submitting unnecessary personally identifiable information as supplementary material.

14. Right to Request Documentation

The Editorial Office may request evidence of informed consent, ethics approval, or other relevant documentation when necessary to assess compliance with this policy.

Failure to provide satisfactory documentation may result in:

• Delayed editorial processing.
• Request for clarification.
• Rejection of the manuscript.
• Investigation of potential ethical concerns.

15. Breach of Confidentiality or Consent

If the journal identifies a potential breach of informed consent, confidentiality, or privacy, the Editorial Office may investigate the matter.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

• Request clarification from the authors.
• Request supporting documentation.
• Contact the relevant institution or ethics committee.
• Remove or modify inappropriate identifying information before publication.
• Reject the manuscript.
• Publish a correction or editorial notice.
• Issue an Expression of Concern or retraction where necessary for published material.

16. Right to Reject on Ethical Grounds

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology reserves the right to reject any manuscript where required informed consent has not been obtained or where publication would constitute an unacceptable breach of privacy, confidentiality, or individual rights.

Scientific merit does not override fundamental ethical obligations concerning patient and participant confidentiality.

17. ICMJE and COPE Guidance

The journal follows applicable ICMJE recommendations concerning the protection of research participants, privacy, informed consent, and publication of identifiable information.

The journal also considers relevant COPE guidance when addressing consent for publication, confidentiality, privacy concerns, and ethical issues arising before or after publication.

18. Author Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have:

• Obtained appropriate consent where required.
• Protected participant and patient confidentiality.
• Removed unnecessary identifying information.
• Obtained appropriate ethical approval or documented an applicable waiver.
• Ensured that information obtained through confidential relationships, including doctor–patient relationships, is handled responsibly.
• Provided accurate information regarding consent and ethical oversight.

The Journal of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology considers informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for individual privacy fundamental requirements for responsible medical and biomedical publishing.