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This presentation by Blair Stewart, Assistant Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand, discusses health information privacy from a New Zealand perspective. Highlighting the country's healthcare landscape, which includes a comprehensive accident compensation scheme and the use of digital health records by a majority of general practices, the talk also addresses the implications of the New Zealand Privacy Act 1993. Key topics include the role of health information professionals, ongoing challenges in balancing patient confidentiality with information sharing, and the importance of privacy planning in healthcare.
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IFHRO/AHIMA CONGRESSWashington DC13 October 2004 Health information privacy A New Zealand Perspective Blair Stewart Assistant Privacy Commissioner New Zealand
New Zealand at a glance • 4 million people somewhere in the SW Pacific • About 8500 doctors, 36500 nurses/midwives • 445 hospitals (85 public, 360 private) • 23,825hospital beds • National 24/7 no fault comprehensive accident compensation scheme • 21 elected District Health Boards
Digital health records in NZ • Practically all general practices use computers • 1999: estimated 30-40% all GPs used some form of EHR (EPR?) and 47.5% NZ GPs use Internet to support clinical practice* …now? • National Health Index No assigned to everyone • National Practitioner Index plan • No national EHR but various local or specialised projects to promote interconnectivity * Source: NZ Ministry of Health, WAVE report, 2001
NZ Privacy Act 1993 Law covers all personal information: • in whatever form (e.g. manual or electronic) • in both public and private sectors 12 information privacy principles (based on OECD) Privacy Commissioner
Privacy Commissioner • Independent public official • Dispute resolution: • Investigates, conciliates complaints (c 1000pa, <4% proceed to a tribunal) • Watchdog, public education, policy roles • Issues binding codes
Health Information Privacy Code 1994 • Sectoral code applying across health sector • Tailored, flexible, enforceable • 12 rules (collection, use, disclosure, security, access, correction, retention, unique identifiers)
Continuing/future issues and concerns Difficulty of reconciling patient confidentiality with inexorable drive to share information
Continuing/future issues and concerns Diminished individual control/autonomy (might EHR offer the converse?)
Role of health information management/health record professionals
Role of health information management/health record professionals In NZ a statutory role of “privacy officer” within every agency: • Encourage compliance • Deal with access/correction requests • Assist with investigations
It is critical for good privacy outcomes that health information professionals play an active role in privacy planning and implementation I
Further information Office of the Privacy Commissioner New Zealand www.privacy.org.nz