DOH seeks better guidelines in health research, data sharing

CEBU CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas says it needs better guidelines in observing health data sharing and research with the use of the data policy act.

Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Executive VicePresident of the University of the Philippines said laws that protect individual privacy reduced the flow of health care data for research purposes.

“It changed in policy and security and has affected health research with the use of data privacy act. We now have additional cost of this research and accessing data because it now entails the privacy issues of individual patients, issue of content and the privacy value of information in terms of research,” Herbosa said.

Rey Cris Panugaling, head of the Office of Strategic Management at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) here, talked about specific legal prohibitions when it comes to data privacy related to research.

Panugaling said the Data Privacy Act of 2012 protects an individual or his/her personal information and its communication system. As a consequence, health researchers must consider the repercussions of gathering personal information for academic and research purposes.

Panugaling said DOH must work closely with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to balance the use of information for research and social good.

“We know already that any details or data that is sensitive and has personal information to any patient are not allowed to be shared without any approval.” Panugaling said.

Health care accuracy is crucial because it helps in saving and improving lives. For his part, Medical Informatics Officer Nelson Tiongson discussed big data and its potential for health and health research.

Digital transformation has been done in other areas and fields of data processing and sharing, but it is most important in health care because it is where the health sector can make a difference in using data to create better health outcomes, Tiongson said.

“We need data to be able to describe what’s going on in a particular patient’s condition. How come social media can capture information and are available without issues of privacy that are being posted in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like?” he noted.

VSMMC medical specialist Dr. Narciso Tapia observed that some people post health problems and issues on Facebook not knowing what their medical condition really is.

Dr. Tapia said there are people who would rather search online for answers to their medical condition instead of visiting a doctor.

“People should understand first the content of the prescriptions before blabbing on Facebook,” Tapia said.