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Research at LAC

Effective April 1, 2015, USC and LAC+USC have established the following procedures for the conduct of clinical research by USC workforce members at LAC+USC.

IRB Approval: Protocols submitted to the USC IRB that propose access to LA County patients, patient records, services or other resources will be forwarded by the IRB to LAC+USC for review.

Medicare Coverage Analysis (MCA) and Charges for Services: MCA and review of budgets will be conducted by the USC Clinical Trials Office using standard procedures. When LAC+USC is identified as a location for services, costs of clinical services will be based on applicable Medicare rates.

Research Order Forms: A Research Order Form (ROF) for LAC+USC mirrors the one currently used by the USC CTO.

Requesting Services: When obtaining services at LAC+USC, Study Teams must utilize the following steps:

  1. Download the study-specific ROF from OnCore when requesting any and all study-related services from LAC+USC using standard hospital order forms (or, in the future, through the LAC+USC EHR). Do not make copies of the ROF, they are not legible when faxing or emailing to LAC+USC.
  2. Check “LAC” to identify the services were ordered at LAC+USC Medical Center
  3. Each ROF must be legible. ROFs that are not will not be processed by the CTO.
  4. Any handwritten instructions on the ROF must be legible. Services should only be written on the ROF, if they are medically necessary and should be billed to the Sponsor. Any services that are determined not to be research procedures will be billed to the department ordering services. The ROF is a departmental promissory note to pay and it is the department’s responsibility to ensure the procedures are authorized to be billed to Sponsor before services are rendered.
  5. Email the legible ROF to LAC+USC Expenditure Management Office:
    To:  Mindy Wang 
    Cc: Maria Renteria  and Kathy Bustos 

Payment for Services: Upon receipt of a ROF, LAC+USC, Expenditure Management staff will verify that services were provided and bill USC’s Clinical Trials Office for those services. The finance team at the CTO will bill the appropriate study account.