Further considerations to e-records urged

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has commented on how National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) Supplementary Paper needs to be considered in the interests of privacy for individuals.

The office suggests there are key issues requiring further consideration including:

1. implications of the proposal that consumers would be able to add information to their own person-controlled e-health record. System controls will be needed to ensure that health providers know who has entered each piece of information, and that information entered by another provider has not been altered by the consumer

2. areas that are to be covered in legislation, including safeguards to ensure that consumer access to health services, Medicare or health insurance payments is not adversely affected by the e-health system

3. processes for complaint handling and audit

4. capacity of consumers to control access to information which they regard as particularly sensitive

5. secondary uses of information; and

6. implications of the approach for equity and participation of disadvantaged consumers.