Access and authorisation in a Glocal e-Health Policy context.
Challenges to the development of appropriate yet adaptable policy and tools for security of the individual patient electronic health record (EHR) are proving to be significant. Compounding this is the unique capability of e-health to transgress all existing geo-political and other barriers. Initiatives to develop and advance policy, standards, and tools in relation to EHR access control and authorisation management must address this capability. Currently policy development initiatives take place largely in an isolated manner. This jeopardises the potential of e-health because decisions made in one jurisdiction might hamper, even prevent, an e-health opportunity in another. This paper places access and authorisation issues in an overall policy context through describing current Canadian initiatives. The National Initiative for Telehealth (NIFTE) Guidelines project is developing a framework of national guidelines for telehealth. The Policy and Peer Permission (PPP) project is developing a unique tool that provides persistent protection of data. The new corporate body 'Infoway' is developing a pan-Canadian electronic health record solution. Finally, the Glocal e-Health Policy initiative is developing a tool with which to identify and describe the inter-relationships of e-health issues amongst policy levels, themes, and actors.
Scott
Richard E
RE
Global e-Health Research and Training Program, G204 Health Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1. rescott@ucalgary.ca
Jennett
Penny
P
Yeo
Maryann
M
D022126:Access to Information; D002170:Canada; D016494:Computer Security; D014943:Global Health; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D012637:Security Measures