EUROPE | Council of Europe publication on protection of health-related data

The increased use of digital technology has led to an outright “datafication” of our societies. Personal data are everywhere and constitute a valuable raw material for the creation of new knowledge and are of global importance for the growth of many countries.

Health systems have followed the same evolutions, with generalised digitisation and frequent use of digital tools by professionals in the context of activities relating to healthcare and prevention, life sciences research, health system management, and the growing involvement of individuals concerned by care.

Health-related data, which concern the most intimate information of a person and of her or his private life, must have a special status that takes into account the potential risk of discrimination deriving from their processing.

The publication “Protection of health-related data“ by the Council of Europe (CoE) gives recommendations and aims at facilitating the full application of the principles of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (“Convention 108”) as well as to take into account the principles developed in the modernised Convention and to apply them to this new environment in which health-related data are exchanged and shared.

The English and French version of the publication can be downloaded here or can be ordered via docrequest@coe.int.

Source: Council of Europe