Medical Evaluative Research and Privacy Protection

Abstract

The problem of data protection in medical research regards various communities, among them: patients, doctors, approval authorities, researchers, technology suppliers, privacy protectors and lawyers. Therefore it can be seen from many perspectives. In particular, it seems to be common to underestimate the inherent difficulty of obtaining the scientific basis for evaluating health technology and taking decisions about its efficient use. It is important to promote the dialog between the aforementioned communities in order to optimize the overall benefit of the patient. This problem ultimately leads to an ethical dilemma and has no simple solution. In this paper, we try to provide a balanced view of the problem, showing the trade-offs and helping to take responsible decisions. As representatives of the information technology, we also propose a technical solution that permits to collect data necessary for research and minimizing the risk of its loss.