[Personal data and confidentiality on the Internet].
BACKGROUND
Health sciences have a solid foundation for collecting, storing and processing data from individuals. To ensure the confidentiality of the data, a series of laws, guidelines and rules have been implemented. Professionals use computers and the internet when communicating information or results. When preparing a presentation, a serious and non-intentional mistake may take place. Research data are analysed and transferred into informative graphs, charts or tables using MS Excel or MS Word. Afterwards, the graph can be pasted into MS PowerPoint or MS Word for publication. The publication can be uploaded or distributed in the formats: PowerPoint Presentation (.ppt), PowerPoint Show (.pps) or as a Word document (.doc). Typically, however, the entire Excel document used is also pasted and is unintentionally available. In other cases, the usage of pictures, x-rays or screen dumps in presentations compromises the confidentiality of personal data.


METHODS
We conducted simple searches on the internet using the Google.dk search engine on health-related topics and restricted to PPT files and DOC files. We downloaded and tested sample files for hidden data.


RESULTS
We found hidden data in 37% (26-49%) of the downloaded sample PowerPoint files but not in the Word files. A number of these files contained very sensitive personal health information.


CONCLUSIONS
We were easily able to find personal information on the internet although laws and rules prohibit this. We provide some advices on data management to avoid this.
Dahl
Mads Ronald
MR
Institut for Folkesundhed, Afdeling for Biostatistik, Sektion for Sundhedsinformatik, Aarhus Universitet, DK-8000 Arhus C. mrd@folkesundhed.au.dk
Vedsted
Peter
P
D016494:Computer Security / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011996:Records / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence