Data Protection Act 1998: From 1 Different Sources
This legislation puts into e?ect the UK European Directive 95/46/EC on the processing of personal data, whether paper or computer records. The Act is based on eight principles, the ?rst of which stipulates that ‘personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully’. Unfortunately this phrase is open to di?erent interpretations. Clari?cation is required to determine how the common-law duty of con?dentiality affects the health services in the context of using data obtained from patients for research work, especially epidemiological studies (see EPIDEMIOLOGY). Health authorities, trusts and primary care groups in the NHS have appointed ‘Caldicott guardians’ – named after a review of information that identi?es patients. A prime responsibility of the guardians is to agree and review internal protocols for the protection and use of identi?able information obtained from patients. The uncertainties over the interpretation of the legislation require clari?cation, but some experts have suggested a workable solution: to protect patients’ rights, researchers should ensure that data are fully anonymised whenever possible; they should also agree their project design with those responsible for data protection well in advance of its planned starting date. (See ETHICS.)
Disposable sanitary towels or tampons (see TAMPON) used to protect clothing from bloodstains during MENSTRUATION. They are available in different absorbencies to meet women’s individual needs.... sanitary protection
See “data”.... continuous data (variable)
Items of information. continuous data: Data with a potentially infinite number of possible values along a continuum (e.g. height, weight). discrete data: Data that can be arranged into naturally occurring or arbitrarily groups or sets of values. individual data: Data that have not been put into a frequency distribution or rank ordered.... data
See “data”.... discrete data
See “data”.... individual data
A widely agreed upon and generally accepted set of terms and definitions constituting a core of data acquired for e.g. assessment purposes.... minimum data set
Information not available for a subject (or case) about whom other information is available.... missing data
A National Health Service body intended to combat the increasing threat from infectious diseases and biological, chemical and radiological hazards. Covering England, the agency includes the Public Health Laboratory Service, the National Radiological Protection Board, the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, and the National Focus Group for Chemical Incidents.... national infection control and health protection agency
The entire set of information that has been collected, before any cleaning, editing or statistical manipulation begins.... raw data
This type of analysis utilizes existing data sources either through synthesis or integration; meta-analysis is an example of secondary data analysis.... secondary data analysis
Any information given different weights in calculation or data in which values for some cases have been adjusted to reflect differences in the number of population units that each case represents.... weighted data
(in Britain) a confidential list of children whose social circumstances render them at risk of neglect or abuse. Each local authority maintains a register of children who are subject to a child protection plan, who will receive extra support and surveillance from health and/or social services. See also safeguarding.... child protection register
(CHP) a consultant within *Public Health England who is responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of communicable disease and noncommunicable environmental exposures. While no longer the preferred term, the older form Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) is still sometimes used. See also public health consultant.... consultant in health protection
legal safeguards relating to the use and storage of personal information about a living person. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, which implements the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and supersedes the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals have a basic right to control information stored about them. Information concerning health, considered ‘sensitive personal data’ under the legislation, must be used only for the purpose (health care of the individual) for which it was gathered, must be kept secret, and cannot be used or passed on to others without the knowledge of the subject. However, anonymized health data from individual patients’ electronic records may be used for research purposes or to improve medical treatment and health-service delivery.... data protection
the branch of *public health medicine that is concerned with protecting the population from communicable diseases, chemicals and poisons, radiation, and other potential threats to health. See Public Health England.... health protection
(HPA) formerly, a nondepartmental public body set up as a special health authority in 2003 to protect the health of the UK population via advice and support to the NHS, local authorities, the Department of Health, emergency services, and others. The HPA was abolished in April 2013; its responsibilities were largely passed to *Public Health England. See Consultant in Health Protection.... health protection agency
(PPACA) see Affordable Care Act 2010.... patient protection and affordable care act
measures designed to limit the dose of harmful radiation to patients and workers. Medical exposure to radiation is governed in the UK by the Department of Health and Social Care under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2000 (IRMER). A guiding theme of protection is the ALARA principle (“as low as reasonably achievable”).... radiation protection
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