Recent research continues to re-affirm that the public places a high priority on maintaining the confidentiality of identifiable health information. At the same time, public health research and practice sometimes require the use of identifiable patient information and, when asked, patients generally approve of using their data for these activities. In this session, we will examine emerging consensus positions on how best to respect patients’ privacy interests, maintain the promise of confidentiality, and use health information to promote patient well-being and public health.
In recent years, several groups have been working in parallel to develop practical recommendations to respect privacy, preserve confidentiality, and promote effective public health research and practice. These efforts include private sector consensus building, public health ethics standards development, and federal efforts to protect privacy and confidentiality in health care through regulations. The panel will review these efforts and provide an update on their evolving courses, looking especially for common ground. Among the topics covered will be the uses and limitations of written consent forms, the use of health information for public health promotion and marketing, and the possibility of adapting Investigational Review Board -like structures to provide proxy consent for public health projects where waivers of individual informed consent requirements are sought.
See www.ama-assn.org/go/e-forceLearning Objectives: After attending this session, participants should be able to: 1) describe ethical principles that bear on the protection of confidential health information; 2) explain areas of consensus on methods to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive medical information; and 3) describe important ways in which privacy and confidentiality concerns might affect public health research and practice.
Keywords: Privacy, Accountability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.