Learning Objectives
| Understand how health data is accessed and stored |
| Learn about how health data may be destroyed when its no longer needed |
Once health information is collected, it is important to keep it safe and secure. At the same time, it should still be easy for health care providers to use it to help patients, and for organizations to use to improve the health care system. This way, the information stays private but is still available when needed.
| Secure Access | Secure access management keeps health data safe by making sure only certain people, like health care providers and professionals, can see it. Each person gets a special ID, like a username and password, to access data. There are rules about what data they can see, and every time someone looks at health data, it gets logged, so we know who accessed it. The data is often encrypted, which means it is turned into a code to keep it safe from unauthorized access. Regular checks are done to ensure only the right people can access the data, and those who do are trained on how to protect patient data. This way ensures health data stays private and secure. |
| Storage | Health data may be stored in paper records, in computers as electronic records, or a combination of both. These records are kept secure to protect them from unauthorized access, so only permitted users can see them. Regular backups are made, which means copies of the data are saved in different places to keep it safe if something goes wrong. There are strict rules to ensure that personal details stay private. This way, health data is stored securely and can be accessed easily when needed for patient care. |
| Retention | Organizations that collect health data have to say how long they will keep it. This makes sure it is not kept longer than necessary. The data is stored safely for the whole time it is needed. When it’s time to get rid of old records, they are destroyed carefully. Paper records are shredded, and electronic records are completely deleted. There are strict rules to ensure this is done correctly, so personal details remain private. |
By following these steps, health data is kept safe and destroyed properly when it is no longer needed.
The course was developed in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada.