Personal health data attracts special protection but also benefits from exemptions under UK and EU data protection law. Have legislators and regulators got the balance between innovation and privacy right or do the rules overly restrict advances in healthcare provision and research? We look at some of the particular issues involved in processing health data - not least in identifying what it is and how it can be used. We focus on data transfers, cybersecurity and fair and lawful processing, as well as looking at guidance and proposals which aim to clarify existing law, and possibly revise or add to it in the near future.
Defining and using health data
Victoria Hordern looks at what constitutes health data and the lawful bases on which it can be processed under the (UK) GDPR.
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Why isn't transferring health data across borders for research purposes easier?
Victoria Hordern looks at the restrictions on exporting health data and at whether they are really proportional given that potential benefits could well outweigh any risk.
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Fairness and lawfulness in the context of health data
Ed Hadcock looks at the importance of fair and lawful processing of health data to establish trust as well as data protection compliance.
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More health data, more risk
Jo Joyce looks at cybersecurity challenges facing health data and at ways to manage risk.
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Diagnosed by big data
Victoria Hordern looks at the use of big data and AI in medical diagnostics in the context of data protection and AI regulation.
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UK data protection law – a barrier or the key to unlocking health data for scientific research?
Debbie Heywood looks at the scientific research provisions in the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, in the context of health data.
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EU cross-border health data spaces – where are we now?
Elisa-Marlen Eschborn looks at the opportunities created by the planned European Health Data Space, and at whether they can be realised by 2025.
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ICO publishes draft guidance on research provisions in the UK GDPR and DPA 18
The ICO seeks to clarify the rules when using personal data for research.
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