Data-sharing issues affect the health-care sector

In Canada, the health-care system is managed separately by each province or territory, leading to isolated health-care providers with varying electronic health record systems. This fragmentation presents challenges in sharing patient data and ensuring patient privacy, which ultimately affects the quality of patient care. Dental practices, for instance, often use systems that do not connect with hospitals or other providers, and they often share information through unencrypted emails, and physicians offices and pharmacies still use faxes. This compromises patient privacy. To improve health data management in Canada, several infrastructural and legal changes are necessary. Firstly, national standards for electronic health record systems should be established to facilitate collaboration among health-care providers. Secondly, federal health-care privacy laws similar to the United States' Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) should be introduced to provide clear guidelines and protect patients' sensitive information. Lastly, a central health data repository should be built to streamline data sharing, support research, and enhance patient care. As technology advances rapidly, Canada's privacy laws must also evolve to safeguard citizens' privacy. This requires both the government and private sectors to work together in modernizing privacy laws for the digital era. Existing privacy laws, such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and provincial health privacy laws, should be updated frequently to keep pace with new technology. A federal health privacy law akin to the U.S.'s HIPAA would offer more robust protection for Canadians' health data. Anne Genge is a certified information privacy professional, certified healthcare cybersecurity professional, and certified healthcare security risk assessment specialist. Photograph courtesy of Anne Genge Accountability needs to be enhanced by obligating organizations to adhere to privacy principles, conduct regular privacy impact assessments, and appoint privacy officers to ensure compliance with privacy laws. For instance, health-care professionals in Alberta must submit a privacy impact assessment in order to practice. Introducing an audit process would further encourage organizations to take data protection more seriously. Enforcement of privacy laws must also be strengthened, with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada issuing binding orders and monetary penalties instead of mere recommendations. Laws hold no significance if they lack proper enforcement. Unlike the United States with HIPAA, Canada has no federal standardized training protocols for protecting and handling data. The HIPAA privacy rule requires covered entities to train all workforce members on the policies and procedures related to protected health information (PHI), including how to protect PHI from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. The HIPAA security rule requires covered entities to implement reasonable and appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronic PHI. It should be mandatory for individuals handling personally identifiable details or protected health information to complete standardized training in privacy and data management practices. Consent mechanisms should be clearer and more user-friendly, with stronger opt-in mechanisms and explicit consent requirements for collecting, using, and sharing sensitive personal information. Simplifying consent policies would encourage more people to read and understand them. Transparency is essential, and organizations should be open about their data practices. Clear privacy policies and privacy dashboards enabling users to manage their preferences can facilitate transparency. Organizations should collect only the minimum necessary personal information and use it solely for the intended purpose. Individuals should have greater control over their data, including access, correction, deletion, and data portability rights. Rules and safeguards must also be established for cross-border data transfers to protect personal information sent to other countries. Moreover, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things have significant implications for privacy, necessitating laws and regulations that address new risks and challenges. By implementing these measures, Canada can ensure its legal and regulatory framework remains up-to-date and effective in safeguarding Canadians' privacy rights in the digital age. It is crucial for Canada to be at the forefront of digital privacy protection. Anne Genge is a certified information privacy professional, certified health-care cybersecurity professional, and certified health-care security risk assessment specialist. She is a trusted authority for privacy and cybersecurity in the health-care industry with more than 20 years experience helping health-care practice teams with digital transformation. The Hill Times