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The Government today (December 12) launched a public consultation to solicit views on the Legal, Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Health Record (eHR) Sharing. The consultation exercise will last for two months until February 11, 2012.
Speaking at a press conference today to release the consultation document on the Legal, Privacy and Security Framework for eHR Sharing, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said, "In 2008, the Government embarked on a consultation on the reform of our health-care system to ensure its sustainable development. One of the proposals which received broad public support was developing a territory-wide patient-oriented eHR Sharing System as essential infrastructure for our health-care system, with an aim to enhance the quality and efficiency of health care."
The eHR Sharing System will allow timely access and sharing of participating patients' health data by authorised health-care providers in both the public and private health-care sectors, so as to provide patient-oriented care in a more efficient and seamless manner, and to realise the concept of "records follow patients".
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved funding to the Food and Health Bureau in July 2009 for the development of the first stage of the eHR Programme. A dedicated eHR Office was set up to steer and oversee the development of the eHR Sharing System. Pilot projects are being carried out, allowing the public to experience the sharing of health records electronically. By end of September this year, over 170,000 patients had enrolled in the Public-Private Interface - Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project, allowing authorised private health-care providers and other registered institutions to access their medical records kept at the Hospital Authority. The project received support from both participating patients and health-care providers.
Dr Chow said, "Our target is to set up the eHR sharing platform by 2013-14 for connection with all public hospitals, private hospitals and participating private clinics, allowing better integration among different health-care providers, reducing duplicated procedures, and enabling more timely treatment and diagnosis.
"We understand that data privacy and system security are of paramount importance to the development of the eHR Sharing System. To this end, the Government endeavours not only to deploy the appropriate technologies to safeguard system security, but also to formulate a Legal, Privacy and Security Framework for eHR sharing with reference to views of various stakeholders as well as local and overseas experiences, so as to provide legal protection for the privacy of patients' health data and system security."
Dr Chow stressed that patients' participation is voluntary, and express and informed consent must be given to the eHR Sharing System operating body and health-care providers. Health-care providers may only access and upload patients' eHR data with patients' authorisation and based on the "patient-under-care" and "need-to-know" principles. Furthermore, the System has regulations on the identification and authentication of patients, health-care providers and health-care professionals. Only health data within the eHR sharable scope will be accessible by authorised health-care professionals.
Dr Chow called on members of the public to express their views on the proposals in the consultation document. He said, "The benefits of the eHR Sharing System are obvious. We will take into consideration the public's views to formulate an eHR-specific legislation to protect the privacy of patients' health data, and ensure system security and integrity. This will facilitate implementation of the proposals and help realise the potential and benefits of the eHR Sharing System."
Copies of the consultation document and related information can be downloaded from the website of the eHR Office (www.ehealth.gov.hk) and are available for collection at District Offices, public hospitals and clinics.
The deadline for submission is February 11, 2012. The public can send their views on this consultation document to the eHR Office, Food and Health Bureau, by mail to 19/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong; by facsimile to 2102 2570; or by e-mail to eHR@fhb.gov.hk.
Ends/Monday, December 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:41
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