Personal data security in telemedicine services

Abstract

Telemedicine is a rapidly evolving field that presents an effective way of providing healthcare services. As its use, likewise everyday clinical practice, involves handling of sensitive personal data, it is necessary to be aware of the dangers posed by cybercrime and ways of protection against such attacks. The field of personal data protection is well defined in the Slovenian and European legislation, but there are some unresolved issues in the telemedicine field. Telemedicine services are divided into synchronous (real-time, e.g. videoconferencing), asynchronous (with a delay in communication, e.g. e-mail) and remote monitoring of patient health parameters (arterial pressure, blood sugar, etc.). Each of these areas has its own security features and peculiarities. The protection of personal data in telemedicine services must be ensured at the systemic and individual levels. Every healthcare employee who uses telemedicine services must ensure data security at their work. It is especially important to conduct regular training on the topic of information security. A relatively large number of telemedicine projects have already been implemented in Slovenia, some of which have been put into regular use. One of the most extensive healthcare projects in Slovenia is the eHealth project, which also includes some telemedicine services (TeleKap, Teleradiologija, ePosvet).