Prevention is better than the cure: Getting privacy compliance right is essential practice management

Abstract

Background Ensuring compliance with privacy law is not just a matter of respecting patient confidentiality. The past year has seen the introduction of new legal requirements including data breach notification, and higher penalties for breaches of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth). Disturbingly, the first reporting period shows that the health sector has the highest number of data breaches of any sector. Objectives This article outlines the key steps a health practice can take towards managing its privacy compliance. Discussion The absence of a privacy compliance program can itself be a breach of the Privacy Act, even if no personal information was lost or misused in any way. Health service providers need to place a fresh focus on their legal compliance.