XN000022-1993-11-03 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1993

5

NEW STRATEGY TO SAFEGUARD MEDICAL RECORDS

THE

HOSPITAL

AUTHORITY IS DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY WHICH SAFEGUARDS THE CONFIDENTIALITY MEDICAL RECORDS WHILE IMPROVING QUALITY AND CONTINUITY OF PATIENT THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, TOLD

OF

CARE,

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HOWARD YOUNG, MRS WONG SAID MEDICAL RECORDS CONTAINED PRIVILEGED INFORMATION WHICH COULD ATTRACT CLAIMS OF CONFIDENTIALITY.

++

NO INFORMATION CAN BE RELEASED WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT CONSENT OF THE PATIENT; OR THE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED BY LAW,' SHE STATED.

MEANWHILE, MRS WONG ADDED, A TERRITORY-WIDE SYSTEM OF COMPUTERISED PATIENT MASTER INDEX WAS BEING FULLY DEVELOPED BASED ON IDENTITY CARD NUMBERS.

"THIS INDEX WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO BASIC PERSONAL PARTICULARS, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AND BRIEF MEDICAL HISTORIES OF PATIENTS FOR DOCTORS IN ALL PUBLIC HOSPITALS, SHE SAID.

|

"IN THE LONG TERM, IT WILL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF PATIENTS AND TYPES OF TREATMENT PERFORMED.

"THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED INITIALLY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDICAL RECORDS ABSTRACTING SYSTEM, CURRENTLY BEING PILOTED IN THREE HOSPITALS.

H

MRS WONG SAID THE SYSTEM WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED BY A COMPUTERISED LABORATORY MANAGEMENT/REPORTING SYSTEM IN NINE MAJOR HOSPITALS BY 1997 то PROVIDE CLINICAL DATA ON LABORATORY INVESTIGATION.

A PHARMACY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCED TO ONE HOSPITAL IN 1994/95 PROVIDING DATA ON DRUG PRESCRIPTION, SHE ADDed.

LAW TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES ADEQUATE

THE

AND

QUARANTINE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH IS EMPOWERED UNDER THE PREVENTION OF DISEASES ORDINANCE TO ENTER ANY PREMISES SUSPECTED TO BE THE SEAT OF TRANSMISSION OF ANY INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

SATISFACTION HE MAY ALSO ORDER DISINFECTION OF THE SAME TO HIS AND, AS NECESSARY, CLOSE THE PREMISES.

"WE DO NOT CONSIDER FURTHER LEGISLATION TO BE REQUIRED," SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH

THE

WONG, SAID

REPLY

TO A

WRITTEN

QUESTION BY DR THE HON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HUANG

CHEN-YA

IN IN

A

THE

DR

HUANG HAD ASKED THAT IN VIEW OF THE HEPATITIS AND HIV VIRUSES THROUGH TATTOOS, TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT EQUIPMENT USED IN THE HYGIENIC.

LIKELY

INFECTION WHETHER MEASURES HAD TATTOO TRADE WAS SAFE

OF

BEEN

AND

/MRS WONG