Medical Records - perhaps not all that confidential...
Discussion
It would appear that the Govt is keen to make money from us and thus your records may well be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Of course, they claim this will not happen at all, and I am sure many trust the Govt to have honour and decency.
Want to know more? https://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/
Given the way Cameron & Hunt seem intent on "improving" (destroying) the NHS I cant say I'm surprised.
I assume this is the current government attempting to rehash the previous failed "CareData" package that was created during the coalition a couple of years ago?
Actually thinking about it, wasn't CareData just another way of the collation attempting to make use of the previous Labour linked IT / medical records package that was never utilised and became a black hole of millions of £££?
Looks like I'll be opting out again as / when required.
I assume this is the current government attempting to rehash the previous failed "CareData" package that was created during the coalition a couple of years ago?
Actually thinking about it, wasn't CareData just another way of the collation attempting to make use of the previous Labour linked IT / medical records package that was never utilised and became a black hole of millions of £££?
Looks like I'll be opting out again as / when required.
I'm as paranoid as anyone when it comes to personal data, but care.data was actually a good idea. But dealt with very badly.
All of the data on drugs/treatments prescribed, ilnesses and outcomes has the potential to be of great assistance in health research - what works and what does not, side effects, etc etc. It could make a really big difference to healthcare. Consider that little is actually known about the large-scale effects of most drugs, they are trialled on a few tens of people and that's it.
Most will be happy for their data to be used in this way - providing their privacy is protected, which is where the rub comes. Care.data took a "shut up, prole, it'll be fine" approach which was their downfall. The NHS sold millions of records to insurers for peanuts which makes everyone wary. There are valid concerns around annonymity.
It will be a shame if we can't use what will be a great resource for good, because of stupid public bodies being stupid. A model where people are encouraged to opt-in would be better. However I think that idea that "evil tories want to sell it to the highest bidder" are genuinely wide of the mark.
All of the data on drugs/treatments prescribed, ilnesses and outcomes has the potential to be of great assistance in health research - what works and what does not, side effects, etc etc. It could make a really big difference to healthcare. Consider that little is actually known about the large-scale effects of most drugs, they are trialled on a few tens of people and that's it.
Most will be happy for their data to be used in this way - providing their privacy is protected, which is where the rub comes. Care.data took a "shut up, prole, it'll be fine" approach which was their downfall. The NHS sold millions of records to insurers for peanuts which makes everyone wary. There are valid concerns around annonymity.
It will be a shame if we can't use what will be a great resource for good, because of stupid public bodies being stupid. A model where people are encouraged to opt-in would be better. However I think that idea that "evil tories want to sell it to the highest bidder" are genuinely wide of the mark.
gus607 said:
Personally I don't give a toss. Why all the fuss ?
If you are happy for anyone in the world to have your medical records fair enough. Others do not share your views and prefer to keep medical information private or at least decide whom we give this information.Indeed the ECHR shares my view that medical information should be confidential. In fact, so do many doctors I will wager.
Jasandjules said:
If you are happy for anyone in the world to have your medical records fair enough. Others do not share your views and prefer to keep medical information private or at least decide whom we give this information.
Indeed the ECHR shares my view that medical information should be confidential. In fact, so do many doctors I will wager.
As someone who is quite keen on data privacy myself, but can see the benefit of what's proposed (as well as the downsides); can I ask a genuine question as to what, particularly, concerns you Jas?Indeed the ECHR shares my view that medical information should be confidential. In fact, so do many doctors I will wager.
The proposition is that it's anonymised data (so something like, a list of, sex, age, disease, drugs/treatment, and outcome) to be used for research (and also why the normal arguments about confidentiality don't apply - it doesn't have your identity in it).
is it the chance of someone identifying you from the data (A small risk, but it has been demonstrated using mosaic attacks)?
The chance that they might do something other than research with it (sell to insurers etc)
The principle that it's being done without your express consent?
The fact that someone might profit from the research (drug companies etc?)
Not trying to tell you you're wrong, it's your data as far as I'm concerned. Just interested.
Jasandjules said:
It is not anonymous.
Cheers.Some of it will be, some of it will be "pseudoanonymised" using aliases for NHS numbers etc. It's certainly a reasonable concern to have, as the matching of such data to real identities has been demonstrated so is at least theoretically possible.
For me I guess it's the intention of the use it's being put to...ID cards and the data there was designed specifically to identify and track people, this is designed to do population health studies, with a small possibility of wrong 'uns extracting identifiable data from it if all the safeguards fail.
in the old days of paper records health professionals were quite happy to share my wifes medical information with me and vice versa whether we liked it or not. Ok its a smaller breach than sharing electronic records with all and sundry but anyone who thinks their medical records are in any way confidential is deluded.
Read Code 9Nu0 “Dissent from secondary use of GP patient identifiable data"
Is what you'll want your GP to enter into your records.
They are snooping on your sick records next, even though they have all the information already.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-pract...
Is what you'll want your GP to enter into your records.
They are snooping on your sick records next, even though they have all the information already.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-pract...
thepeoplespal said:
They are snooping on your sick records next, even though they have all the information already.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-pract...
<sigh>http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-pract...
There's all this data which could be used to improve healthcare for all, but instead they keep f
king it up by doing st like this. A good example, in fact, of scope creep and an argument against allowing your data to be used for anything other than treating you.grumbledoak said:
As ever. These people cannot be trusted. Not now and not in the future. The only solution is to not allow that information to be collected.
<trudges off to fill in yet another bloody opt-out form>
Unfortunately that is the problem.<trudges off to fill in yet another bloody opt-out form>
There was an opportunity to gather statistical anonymous information for research purposes only. I suspect no-one would object to that.
This however is not that at all. It is a serious breach of privacy and is frankly disgusting. I am actually surprised any GPs will comply, I think this could result in long term damage to the doctor/patient relationship. We expect and are entitled to absolute confidentiality at OUR discretion.
It is not for some Govt t**t to decide to sell off confidential information.
Whilst we are on the subject of things being anonymous, does anyone know why when you vote there is a number on the corner of the voting slip that corresponds with your name on a list? I used to cross this out as voting is supposed to be anonymous, but then realized it would be a spoil t paper and not count. In my opinion nothing in this country is private or secret unless it's the governments own underhanded ways. Sits back and awaits the tin foil hat comments.
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