Commission publishes study on Assessment of the EU Member States’ rules on health data in the light of GDPR

"Today, the Commission published a study on the “Assessment of the EU Member States’ rules on health data in the light of GDPR”. The study finds that while the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) lays down horizontal directly applicable rules in all Member States, there remains variation in the range of national-level legislation linked to its implementation in the area of health. This, the study suggests, has led to a fragmented approach in the way that health data processing for health and research is conducted in the Member States. This can negatively impact cross-border cooperation for care provision, healthcare system administration, public health or research. To ensure that European healthcare systems can make the best possible use of health data and to support the development of the European Health Data Space, a number of legal and operational issues need to be addressed in a multi-faceted approach. The study identified potential future EU level actions, including stakeholder-driven Codes of Conduct as well as new targeted and sector-specific EU level legislation. In addition to legal requirements and governance, the study also points to the need for a more harmonised approach across the Member States when it comes to technical infrastructure, technical and semantic interoperability. Data quality and acquisition, digital skills and capacity-building for primary and secondary use of health data were also areas identified where a harmonised approach could be beneficial..." Lire la suite