Ethical issues of healthcare in the information society

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Medical informatics dates back to the 1960s when computers were first introduced into hospitals to support administrative tasks. Many trials of a wide range of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools used in healthcare are currently taking place in Europe, some with the support of European Community funds.

Personal health data necessarily touch upon the identity and private life of the individual and are thus extremely sensitive.

ICT creates the potential for the free circulation of personal health data, across local, national and professional borders, giving such data an enhanced European dimension.

The principles of the European Convention of Human Rights, the rules of the Convention of the Council of Europe for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data and especially the European Directive 95/46/EC, for the protection of personal data, are an essential source for addressing the ethical questions of healthcare in the Information Society.

Actions to be undertaken

A Directive on medical data protection is desirable within the framework of the current Data Protection Directive to address the particular issues arising from the use of health data in Information Society.
A European Patient’s Charter covering the above aspects, possibly by means of a Recommendation, should be adopted.