Data protection in health information systems (HIS)

Information and communication systems in a health (care) environment are risky systems as the data processed, transmitted, stored and retrieved are person-related. An unjustified disclosure may compromise the individual's personal or social life. Therefore these systems must be subject to carefully designed and implemented protection procedures guaranteeing the correct use of those data, corresponding in the medical sphere with the ancient Oath of Hippokrates, as well as the preservation of their correctness, completeness etc., as requested by legal regulations valid for the location of the respective computer-aided information system. The same is true for the manual handling of person-related health data by conventional methods. In any case, the data subject's right of informational self determination must be taken into account.