Stumbling blocks of utilizing medical and health data: Success factors extracted from australia–japan comparison

Abstract

We have conducted comparative analysis of medical and health data utilization between Australia and Japan with OECD’s indicators: data governance readiness and high technical and operational readiness and three additional indicators: data analysis mechanism, security and privacy protection, and diffusion and coverage. Tamba City of Japan has succeeded in improving the efficiency of local medical. However, there are significant barriers to generating and utilizing new data and expanding the target area, and to make diversified professional utilize accumulated data. On the other hand, PCEHR, Australian nationwide EHR has been developed to utilize various data resources in an integrated manner with protecting individual’s data control right. However, data accumulation and utilization has not been promoted in early stage of implementation and faces of criticism for inadequate privacy measures. What is needed in common from the two cases is the need for a strategy that can be applied consistently through conception, development, and social implementation, and the introduction of a method that can quickly update according to the situation. The AIDAF is a suitable tool for this situation. It would be easier to overcome the barrier to diffusion and to avoid over-adaption to particular situations by developing a robust strategy for diffusion from the beginning and updating it flexibly according to the situation.