Security and privacy issues
While researchers and public institutions will be able to use some health data, the rules include strong data protection safeguards. No personal information will be shared. Patients will have a say on how their data is used or accessed and will be able to add information, rectify wrong data, restrict access to others and obtain information on how their data are used and for which purposes.
Some countries may add stricter rules for accessing sensitive data.
Benefits for health professionals and researchers
The new rules provide for the secure use of health data for better healthcare, research, and policymaking.
Since there will be a common European format, health professionals will have faster access to a patient’s health records, even if the patient is from another EU country. Better access and exchange of health data will result in faster and cheaper administrative procedures.
Researchers will have better, faster, cheaper and more effective access to health data of higher quality. This will enable them to improve treatments.