Phisc

PRIVACY

&

CONFIDENTIALITY

 

 

 

INDEX

 

 

 

 

 

Agenda for the meeting to be held on 31 January 2002.... p. 1

 

 

Minutes of the meeting held on 25 October 2001.... p. 2

 

 

Implementation guidelines.... p. 3


 

 

 

Agenda

 

for the meeting

Privacy and Confidentiality

To be held on 31 January 2002

 

 

1.     Welcome and presentation of all participants

 

2.     Apologies

 

3.     Previous Minutes

 

4.     Matters arising

     4.1     “Secret patients” - SAMHS

     4.2     Preservation of info on HIV pntients - Sanlam Health

 

5.     Framework for Guide

 

6.     General

 

7.     Next meeting

 


 

Implementation guidelines

As adopted by members on 25 October 2001

(Refer to minutes of meeting).

 

 

 

 

            Responsible member

1.

Investigate confidentiality aspect on info on financial statements or contracts of payment of medical procedures.

no-one undertook

2.

Challenge existing disclosure agreements with Medical Aid Companies.

Lyn Hanmer

3.

Formulation of draft guidelines re. disclosure agreements with Medical Aid Companies.

Hester Huysamen

Braam Volschenk

Elsabe Klinck

4.

Re-formulate and make proper definition of number 4.11 on minutes of Privacy and Confidentiality meeting held on 19 July 2001.

Hester Huysamen

Braam Volschenk

5.

Findings of Provincial Advisor re: legal implications of collating medical data for further use and/or personal/financial gain to be forwarded to all members.

Lyn Hanmer

6.

Clarification of categories re. people using data and gathering of legislation surrounding this.

Lyn Hanmer

7.

Discussions with people using collated data.

no-one undertook

8.

C1/10/2001 - to provide web address.

Lyn Hanmer

9.

C1/10/2001 - preparation for discussion at next meeting.

all members

10.

C2/10/2001 - preparation for discussion at next meeting.

all members

11.

List of roles for Guide.

all members

12.

Finding someone to gather info on specific Acts re. privacy and confidentiality and verification of findings by lawyers.

Lyn Hanmer

 

 

 


Minutes of

Privacy & Confidentiality Meeting

held on 25 October 2001 for PHISC

 

Discovery Health

155 West Street, Sandton

 

 

1.            Welcome

            Jean le Roux welcomed everyone and defined the goal of this meeting as constructing an implementation guide regarding privacy and confidentiality. All present briefly introduced themselves, it was noted that there’s a growing concern in general for clarification on this subject. Topics for discussion raised from SAMHS regarding “secret patients”, and Sanlam Health regarding the preservation of information on HIV patients.

 

 

2.         Present

 

Jean le Roux (JleR)  (chairman)

DHS

(011) 266 6317

jean@dhsolutions.co.za

Luisa Whitelaw (LW)

Discovery Health

(011) 529 2152

luisaw@discoveryhealth.co.za

Lyn Hanmer (LH)

MCR

(021) 938 0343

lyn.hanmer@mrc.ac.za

Roberta Adams (RA)

LHC

(011) 408 1765

roberta.adams@liberty.co.za

Emily Wisdeman (EW)

LHC

(011) 408 1765

roberta.adams@liberty.co.za

Audrey Robinson (AR)

DXS Systems

(021) 853 3317

audrey@dxs-systems.com

Warrick Sive (WS)

Afrox Healthcare

(011) 490 0516

warrick.sive@afrox.boc.com

Elma Jooste (EJ)

OTASA

(011) 954 3626

ejooste@netactive.co.za

Sanet Kock (SK)

Medi-Kredit

(011) 770 6000

skock@medikredit.co.za

Hester Huysamen (HH)

SASP

(012) 807 0601

huysamen@icon.co.za

Tionette Greyling (TG)

Qualsa Healthcare

(011) 777 8112

toinetteg@qualsa.co.za

Barbara Elsworth (BE)

Qualsa Healthcare

(011) 777 8000

barbarae@qualsa.co.za

Helen Matuszek (HM)

Sanlam Health

(021) 947 8760

hmatuszek@health.sanlam.co.za

Anette Botha (AB)

MediHelp

(082) 920 1321

abotha@medihelp.co.za

Ann Govindasamy (AG)

Liberty Healthcare

(082) 415 8213

elizabeth.govindasamy@liberty

Riva Hirschowitz (RH)

Netcare

(082) 782 8275

rivah@netcare.co.za

Derik van Rensburg (DvR)

SADA/SAMHS

(082) 469 5197

denvision@icon.co.za

Corrie Auret (CA)

SAMHS

(012) 671 5185

corriea@medinfo.sita.co.za

Virginia Thomas (VT)

Medscheme

(012) 510 2555

virginiat@medscheme.co.za

Faith Barter (FB)

Afrox Healthcare

(011) 490 0917

faithbarter@afrox.boc.com

Elaine Saulz (ES)

Discovery

(011) 529 2430

elaine@discoveryhealth.co.za

 

 

 3.            Apologies

            Niel Steyn

 

 

4.            Previous minutes

Read and were accepted, with the following exceptions and amendments:

 

4.2 “… the SA Medical Journal is to have legislation …” should read “… the SA Medical Association is to have legislation …”.

 

4.3 “… but also to encompass SADEC….” should read “… but also to encompass SADC….

 

4.4 WS mentioned that all matters given to a specific person to finalise should be completed or taken off the agenda, specifically referring this point and number 6.2 on the minutes of meeting held on 19 April 2001 where “Pino” undertook to investigate the difference between English and Afrikaans versions.

 

JleR said that Braam Volschenk compiled a report that is available on the Web.

 

4.10 HH raised comment that an agreement was not yet reached regarding the rights to privacy by a dependant, but rather that it was to date only proposed. This point was forwarded to Matters Arising number i.

 

4.11 LH suggested this item also be forwarded to Matters Arising - number ii.

 

4.12 Generally agreed to forward this item to Matters arising number iii. for discussion.

 

 

(Refer to number 6 hereof which was discussed at this point, but abandoned in favour of obtaining clearance on the whole issue of privacy & confidentiality before categories for the framework of a “Guide” be defined.)

 

 

5.         Matters Arising

 

i.) Reason for disagreement with the stated “agreed” term (4.10), HH: case example mentioned of an abortion done on a patient who did not want her husband to know about the procedure. Statements received from their Medical Aid clearly indicated the procedure preformed.

HH suggested making distinction between confidentiality of financial- and clinical info.

 

LH mentioned that informed consent for procedures is dealt with in other forums, that this committee can rather focus on the payment aspect, somehow formulate a proposal on contract for payment of procedure. This committee should rather lok at aspects not yet covered. Suggested someone undertake to follow this up, not herself.

 

JleR queried: when a patient signs agreement with a Medical Aid if their signature approves sharing of info. LH agreed to challenge existing disclosure agreements at Medical Aid.

HH said that the matter of privacy and confidentiality is not covered at time of signature, because the contract then does not include the “confidentiality” issue/clauses. Suggested that HH, Braam Volschenk and Elsabe Klinck formulate draft guidelines and challenge this aspect. LH seconded it. JleR will follow‑up.

 

ii.) JleR explained the implied meaning of 4.11 on previous minutes, viz. (the piece of paper) notes made by a doctor is owned by the doctor, but after these notes are recorded in some form e.g. computerised and made “public”, it belongs to the patient not the doctor.

HH mentioned that Ethical rules states that the doctor must provide a summary of findings to the patient.

A suggestion was made that HH re-formulate this and make a proper definition. HH agreed, but only with Braam Volschenk.

 

iii.) (4.12) Mention was made of a potential “problem” in the fact that information is gathered off prescriptions from doctors and sent to IPA after which it is sold to Pharmaceutical Companies. LH said that the legal implications of this should be investigated. She also said that MRC committee said that doctors must be informed that their data might be used in public. There is a Provincial Legal Advisor looking into it and she will forward findings in due course.

Suggestion made that discussions be held with people currently using collated data.

 

LH said that there is different categories, individual data and data for peer review, she undertook to clarify categories and gather legislation surrounding this.

HH said everyone must look at it and get some case matters.

Suggestion made to include case studies/solution cases in Sequence of Items, maybe under 6.8 Statistics and Warehousing.

 

iv.) C1/10/2001: LH submitted a letter dealing with ethical code of practice. Some copies of this letter distributed. It’s a draft. Suggestion made that members revert to this letter and it be discussed at the next meeting. LH will provide web address, and JleR will place a link to it on PHISC web-site.

 

v.) C2/10/2001 (BMJ.com, 11 Nov 2000 - vol. 3.21): Letter submitted to committee by LH. This too will be discussed at next meeting.

 

 

 

6.            Sequence of items - Framework for Guide

 

6.1 Member and Dependant;

6.2 Patient;

6.3 Medicine and Consumers Suppliers;

6.4 Service Suppliers;

6.5 Administrators;

6.6 Payment Chain;

6.7 Hubs;

6.8 Statistics and Warehousing;

6.9 Legal and Government.

 

Suggestion made to re-visit roles this committee caters for. All members should make a list of roles for next meeting.

 

HH said that instead of “Patient” (6.1), one should refer to “User of Health Care” and instead of “Service Suppliers” (6.4), “Health Care Providers”.

 

DvR said that we should not waste time on categories for now, that the framework is acceptable and can be amended or adapted later, but rather to concentrate on clarifying the whole issue of privacy and confidentiality first.

 

Legislation regarding privacy and legislation queried, a great deal is already available, especially by Braam Volschenk (www.ftc.gov/reports/privacy3/fairinfo.htm).

 

LH undertook to find someone to further look at specific Acts and to get lawyers to verify findings.

 

 

7.            General

None raised.

 

 

8.         Next meeting

January 2002, to be confirmed.