Health data use and protection policy; based on differences by cultural and social environment

On April 22, 1999, the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare proposed electronic preservation of all clinical records. Simultaneously, deliberations on legislation on data disclosure and privacy protection were held. To promote these movements, electronic use of Personal Health Data (PHD) is indispensable, and the system development is on its way to meet rising demands. Indigenous Japanese did not have a word to describe the concept of privacy. It was only in the 1960s when we became aware of that. In this article, the protection policy for data use will be discussed from a Japanese perspective compared with those in other nations, giving an example of the hospital management system under construction at the Hiroshima University Hospital.