The Challenge of Privacy and Security and the Implementation of Health Knowledge Management Systems

Abstract

Health information privacy is one of the most important and contentious areas in the development of Health Knowledge Systems. This chapter provides an overview of some of the daily privacy and security issues currently faced by health services, as health knowledge system developments risk outpacing medico-legal and professional structures. The focus is a mixture of philosophy and pragmatics with regard to the key “privacy” and “security” issues that challenge stakeholders as they try to implement and maintain an increasing array of electronic health knowledge management systems. The chapter utilises a number of evolving simple visual and mnemonic models or concepts based on observations, reflections and understanding of the literature.