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With the recent cyberattacks involving confidential patient data being sold on the dark web or black market, Australian Medical Association (AMA) has begun to get the attention of the Australian government on patient data protection.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) drafted a new position paper with the rationale of having a significant national discussion on health data governance. They are calling for the government to step up on safeguarding patient data.
The AMA underlined its worries about technology firms and commercial health funds having access to health information. According to the report, government efforts to stop cyberattacks and any attempts to monetise patient data must be stepped up.
AMA suggested that laws should be in place to avoid security breaches, primarily online and using health data for gaining private profits.
“Effective data governance will ensure the appropriate collection and use of data,” AMA President Professor Stephen Robson said.
The organisation wanted the government to benchmark the European way of implementing privacy laws and transparent limits on patient data access and usage.
“The AMA does not support sharing health information (particularly MBS and PBS data) with private health funds outside the existing statutory schemes,” Robson said.
“Patients’ medical information must be protected to maintain the clinical independence of their healthcare pathway.”
The president said that the public use of patient data for gains is deemed to be “unethical”. He pleads to medical professionals, including doctors, healthcare providers, clinical software developers, and health insurers, to prevent patient data hacking and misuse.
Following a high-profile data leak that affected 9.7 million Medibank customers, AMA made its call.
The health insurer has acknowledged that data from consumers who requested quotes under its health insurance brand ahm was also a part of the significant cyberattack from last year.
Hackers thought to be from Russia took the names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of consumers and uploaded them online.
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