Confidentiality of patient records Flashcards
All members of team’s duty
have ethical + legal duty to keep pt info gained + not to release it without pt permission or in accordance with strict protocols if they do so without their permission
The specific legislation that applies to issues of pt health info + confidentiality consists of:
Data protection Act 1998
Access to Health Records Act 1990
Freedom of information Act
Data protection act aims
to protect confidentiality of sensitive personal data by placing obligations on the data controller (dentist or organisation responsible) only to make third party disclosures under the conditions of the act + keep data secure otherwise
Data may be legally shared with certain organisations such as:
the business services authority, the dental department of local hospital or salaried community dental services, but only on a ‘need to know’ basis. It must be shared in order to provide pt with appropriate care + trt + for the provision of general health services
The data must be kept
for no longer than necessary, + although NHS regulations require dental records to be retained for only 2 years (6 in Northern Ireland), medico-legally they should be held for 11 years or to age of 25 with child pts - whichever is longest
Examples of ways to avoid breaches
Pts must not be discussed infront of other pts - even when names are not used - some unique circumstances may make it possible to deduce pt’s identity
Privacy must be maintained when discussing personal matters with pts which may involve taking them away from reception area
Examples of ways to avoid breaches
attendance at practice is private + cannot be revealed to other pts, employers or schools therefore an appt card must be printed for the pt to give to these institutions
All written communications with pts should be sent in sealed envelopes (including examination reminders)
Dental records must be kept in correct length of time + not destroyed beforehand either partially or wholly
