Similar experience with Health Records - prior to "Access to Health
Records Act 1990" clinicians wrote as they pleased in your health
record, and I have been around long enough to know how inflammatory and
subjective it was at times!
This changed to an extent with the introduction of the Act, which was
not retrospective. From then on, clinicians were (quite rightly) more
circumspect. The Data Protection Act has taken this further for us
(being retrospective) and I think it has led to a more professional
approach to record-keeping.
Your staff will find ways (as our clinicians did) to convey the same
sort of information to their colleagues, but in a more professional and
thoughtful way. Otherwise it will be seen by the subject, and they will
rightly object.
There were fears at the time of the Access to Health Records Act that
clinicians would start keeping separate records where they could truly
record what they feel, but this has not been the case. I doubt it will
happen in your situation either, we're all basically too busy/lazy to do
so!
Anne
Anne Gadsden AHRIM
Information Governance Officer
North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Cumberland Infirmary
Carlisle CA2 7HY
01228 814074 (direct line)
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>> Dan Hallam <[log in to unmask]> 21/04/2005 08:28:49 >>>
With the increased use of our student record system in the college,
staff are wanting to put down subjective comments about student
behaviour. They want to 'warn' other staff so they consider future
applications more carefully. Something doesn't ring true with it and
my
thoughts go towards a DPA request for personal details that may open
us
up to litigation of bias or inequity.
How do other organisations deal with this? Are there any implications
of
letting staff enter free-for-all comments that aren't monitored?
Thanks
Dan
Dan Hallam
Mid-Kent College of H&Fe
Tel: 01634 830633 x2296
______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for viruses by the Email Protection Agency
For more information please visit http://www.epagency.net
______________________________________________________________________
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
Any queries about sending or receiving message please send to the list
owner
[log in to unmask]
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
Any queries about sending or receiving message please send to the list owner
[log in to unmask]
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|