Protecting Privacy of Health Information, a Global Perspective

The expanded use of data is part of healthcare transformation that is underway in most countries around the world. While transformation is good for the advancement of healthcare, it presents new challenges for health information professionals. It is critical that the privacy of individual health information be protected throughout the transformation process. In this abstract, we explore how transformation is taking place in various countries and at different stages as paper-based records are digitized, as electronic health records are adopted, and as health data is used in new data-sharing methods for population health, analytics, and patient engagement. It is imperative for all health information stakeholders to learn about emerging trends and new rules that will impact their work to protect the privacy of health information in an increasingly digital, mobile, and global world. These requirements, and more are explored in the whitepaper: Privacy of Health Information, an IFHIMA Global Perspective.