The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published new guidance for the health and social care sector, to help improve transparency around how people's personal information is used.
The guidance, published on April 15, will provide regulatory certainty on how organizations must keep people properly informed about how data is used. It describes how organizations can assess appropriate levels of transparency and provides practical steps for developing effective transparency information.
Anne Russell, head of regulatory policy projects at the ICO, said: “Being transparent is essential to building public trust in health and social care services. If people clearly understand how and why their personal information is used, they will likely feel empowered to share their health information to access care and support initiatives such as medical research.
With a huge volume of sensitive information processed by the health and care sectors, these guidelines will help organizations understand the definition of transparency. Under data protection law, people have the right to know what happens to their personal information, which is particularly important when accessing vital services.
ICO advice explains how to provide transparency and privacy information, including necessary communication methods, and how to prioritize privacy and transparency information. It also explains how to assess whether an organization is transparent and how often to review its transparency information.
Russell continued: “As new technologies are developed and deployed in the healthcare industry, our personal information becomes more important than ever to increase the efficiency and public benefit of these systems.
“With this tailored advice, we aim to support health and social care organizations by improving their understanding of effective transparency, ensuring they are clear, open and honest with everyone whose personal information is used . »
The guidelines incorporate feedback from health and social care bodies across the UK, following a public consultation earlier this year. It is published to complement existing ICO guidance on transparency and the right to be informed.
The ICO has already issued reprimands to organizations that fail to secure private patient data.