Protecting Our Patients
Root Canal Specialist London
EndoCare’s Dr Michael Sultan recently wrote an article looking into the legality of ‘informed consent’ in the healthcare profession, after questions were raised about the deal made between the NHS and Google’s DeepMind system.
It has now been found by the UK’s Information Commission (ICO) that this deal, which utilised the confidential records of more than 1.6 million UK patients, was indeed illegal – and a direct breach of the UK’s privacy laws.
The issue was that those patients whose data was taken had not been properly informed about how and where their information would be used. Initially, Google had defended this breach of trust by suggesting the information had been given on the basis of ‘implied consent’ but, as Dr Sultan pointed out in his article, this is a very difficult issue and could compromise the trust between the healthcare services and patients.
But now the ICO has confirmed that, implied consent or not, the information was used illegally. In a statement, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said, “The price of innovation does not need to be the erosion of fundamental privacy rights” – which is a message that dental professionals should well consider, particularly since dentistry is advancing rapidly and new technology is becoming increasingly available in practice. We should all stop and ask ourselves whether the latest gadget will help the patient or ourselves – and if it is not the patient, perhaps we should reconsider making the investment at all.
The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital in questions, has promised to tackle any ‘shortcomings’ in data handling in the future – but their mistake stands a stark reminder of the importance of protecting our patients and putting their well being first at all times.
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Root Canal Specialist London
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