Abstract:Concern for privacy and confidentiality is a strategic barrier to the use of personal information for expanded Canadian health research and statistics, more effective services, and better use of resources. This article identifies such privacy concerns, seeks to explain them, and identifies various responses. Specific misgivings of privacy advocates must be addressed, if data protection problems are not to impede an improved national health information system.
It is essential that legislation, policies, and pra… Show more
“… Protection of privacy. Public health agencies have the mandate and authority to collect private data from the population governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US or similar legislation in other countries [ 12 , 36 , 37 , 44 , 57 , 59 , 62 , 64 , 66 – 68 , 70 – 73 ]. A clear distinction between data containing personal identifiers and fully anonymous data may not always be possible, leading to restrictive policies on all types of data due to privacy concerns [ 12 , 36 , 37 , 74 , 75 ].…”
BackgroundIn the current information age, the use of data has become essential for decision making in public health at the local, national, and global level. Despite a global commitment to the use and sharing of public health data, this can be challenging in reality. No systematic framework or global operational guidelines have been created for data sharing in public health. Barriers at different levels have limited data sharing but have only been anecdotally discussed or in the context of specific case studies. Incomplete systematic evidence on the scope and variety of these barriers has limited opportunities to maximize the value and use of public health data for science and policy.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature review of potential barriers to public health data sharing. Documents that described barriers to sharing of routinely collected public health data were eligible for inclusion and reviewed independently by a team of experts. We grouped identified barriers in a taxonomy for a focused international dialogue on solutions.ResultsTwenty potential barriers were identified and classified in six categories: technical, motivational, economic, political, legal and ethical. The first three categories are deeply rooted in well-known challenges of health information systems for which structural solutions have yet to be found; the last three have solutions that lie in an international dialogue aimed at generating consensus on policies and instruments for data sharing.ConclusionsThe simultaneous effect of multiple interacting barriers ranging from technical to intangible issues has greatly complicated advances in public health data sharing. A systematic framework of barriers to data sharing in public health will be essential to accelerate the use of valuable information for the global good.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1144) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
“… Protection of privacy. Public health agencies have the mandate and authority to collect private data from the population governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US or similar legislation in other countries [ 12 , 36 , 37 , 44 , 57 , 59 , 62 , 64 , 66 – 68 , 70 – 73 ]. A clear distinction between data containing personal identifiers and fully anonymous data may not always be possible, leading to restrictive policies on all types of data due to privacy concerns [ 12 , 36 , 37 , 74 , 75 ].…”
BackgroundIn the current information age, the use of data has become essential for decision making in public health at the local, national, and global level. Despite a global commitment to the use and sharing of public health data, this can be challenging in reality. No systematic framework or global operational guidelines have been created for data sharing in public health. Barriers at different levels have limited data sharing but have only been anecdotally discussed or in the context of specific case studies. Incomplete systematic evidence on the scope and variety of these barriers has limited opportunities to maximize the value and use of public health data for science and policy.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature review of potential barriers to public health data sharing. Documents that described barriers to sharing of routinely collected public health data were eligible for inclusion and reviewed independently by a team of experts. We grouped identified barriers in a taxonomy for a focused international dialogue on solutions.ResultsTwenty potential barriers were identified and classified in six categories: technical, motivational, economic, political, legal and ethical. The first three categories are deeply rooted in well-known challenges of health information systems for which structural solutions have yet to be found; the last three have solutions that lie in an international dialogue aimed at generating consensus on policies and instruments for data sharing.ConclusionsThe simultaneous effect of multiple interacting barriers ranging from technical to intangible issues has greatly complicated advances in public health data sharing. A systematic framework of barriers to data sharing in public health will be essential to accelerate the use of valuable information for the global good.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1144) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
“…This number can be considered a low approximate because data are incomplete for British Columbia, and statistics were not collected for the province of Québec (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2012). Furthermore, the national survey does not account for medical drug-induced abortions, selfprocured abortions, or abortions done in the United States for Canadian women (Flaherty, 2003). In the previous national report, where Québec abortions were included, the national abortion rate was 96,815 (Statistics Canada, 2008).…”
Section: Abortion Tourism: Save Up Your Holiday Timementioning
Twenty-five years after the legal decision that decriminalized abortion in Canada, significant barriers and issues continue to impact the ability of women to exercise their right to bodily integrity. Provinces have abdicated their responsibility to provide adequate abortion access; Members of Parliament continue to introduce and entertain anti-abortion motions and bills; Crisis Pregnancy Centres and anti-abortion advocates perpetuate myths; and women continue to face judgment for controlling their reproduction. The Canadian Association of Social Workers articulates that social workers have an ethical obligation to work towards social justice for all. This paper serves to explain why abortion is still a critical social justice issue, and compels readers to take action against the reproductive oppression of women.
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