Data Protection and Confidentiality in Health Informatics : Handling Health Data in Europe in the Future

Between 1988 and 1990, a research and development program known as the Advancement of Information in Medicine (AIM) Exploratory Action was initiated by the Commission of the European Community to investigate the application of information technologies and telecommunications (IT&T) in medicine and healthcare. The goal of the program was to ensure that healthcare could ultimately benefit from the developments in informatics and communication technology which were already beginning to revolutionize other sectors such as transport, banking and distribution. This book presents the proceedings of an AIM working conference entitled Data Protection and Confidentiality in Health Informatics, held in Brussels, Belgium, in March 1990, The issues examined include data protection, confidentiality and information security with regard to health informatics in Europe. The contents are divided into six sections: executive summary; introduction; health professional issues; legal issues; technical issues; and management, staff and implementation issues. The book represents an important historical record of the origins of what came to be known as the AIM community, and will be of interest to anyone involved in the field of health informatics.