| Term |
Meaning |
| Applicability |
Under section 26 of the Health Services Act 2016, policy frameworks may apply to:
- All Health Service Providers
- A type of public health service facility
- A type of public health service
- A type of staff member of a health service provider.
|
| Business information |
Includes, but is not limited to, administration, corporate, workforce, human resources, financial or accounting information that may contain personal information. |
| Confidentiality |
The obligation of people not to use or disclose information for any purpose other than which was given to them, without consent. |
| Consent |
Consent means voluntary agreement to some act, practice or purpose. |
| Data |
The term 'data' generally refers to unprocessed information, while the term 'information' refers to data that has been processed in such a way as to be meaningful to the person who receives it. In this policy the terms 'data' and 'information' have been used interchangeably and should be taken to mean both data and information. |
| Data governance1 |
Is the system of decision rights and accountabilities surrounding data and the use of data. It can involve legislation, organisational structures, legal contracts, and various agreements, policies, and guidelines. |
| Data linkage |
A complex technique connecting data records within and between datasets thought to relate to the same person, place, family or event. Data linkage typically uses demographic data (for example: name, date of birth, address, sex, medical record number) and facilitates analysis of linked information in a way that protects individual privacy. |
| De-identified information2 |
Is synonymous with the term 'non-identifiable information' and refers to information or opinion about a person whose identity is not apparent and cannot be reasonably ascertained from the information or opinion. |
| Directly related purpose3 |
Refers to the use of health information for a purpose which is closely associated with the original purpose, even if it is not strictly necessary to achieve that purpose. It must be a purpose that people would reasonably expect to be associated with the original purpose.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- using health information to manage the provision of the health service and for funding, monitoring, evaluating, auditing or managing a health service
- administrative activities associated with payment for the health service or product
- sharing relevant health information with students and other staff for training purposes
- using information obtained for the purpose of investigating complaints
- billing or recovering debt in relation to health services received.
|
| Disclosure |
Refers to the communication or transfer of information outside of the WA health system, which is considered a single entity under the Framework. A disclosure can occur by giving a copy, summary, or communicating the information in any other way to another organisation or individual outside the WA health system. |
| Duty of confidentiality |
The legal duty of confidentiality obliges health care practitioners to protect their patients against inappropriate disclosure of personal health information. |
| Health information |
Means – (a) information, or an opinion, that is also personal information, about:
- the health (at any time) of an individual; or
- a disability (at any time) of an individual; or
- an individual's expressed wishes about the future provision of health services to the individual; or
- a health service provided, or to be provided, to an individual; or
(b) other personal information collected to provide, or in providing, a health service.
(Refer to clause 213 of the Health Services Act 2016).
|
| Health information management4 |
Is information management applied to health and healthcare. Information management is defined as the means by which an organisation plans, identifies, creates, receives, collects, organises, governs, secures, uses, controls, disseminates, exchanges, maintains, preserves and disposes of its information; as well as any means through which the organisation ensures that the value of that information is identified and exploited to its fullest extent. |
| Health record |
Is the documentation (whether in paper or electronic form) of a patient's health information that is created by a Health Service Provider for the purpose of managing the patient's healthcare. |
| Health Service Provider |
Means a Health Service Provider established by an order made under section 32(1)(b) of the Health Services Act 2016. |
| Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) |
Means a human research ethics committee constituted in accordance with, and acting in compliance with, the National Statement. |
| National Statement |
Means the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, as in force from time to time, issued under the National Health and Medical Research Act 1992 (Cwlth) clause 7(1) (a). |
| Personal information |
Has the meaning given in the Freedom of Information Act 1992 in the Glossary clause 1:
Means information or an opinion, whether true or not, and
whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual, whether living or dead -
(a) whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion; or
(b) who can be identified by reference to an identification number or other identifying particular such as a fingerprint, retina print or body sample.
|
| Practical |
Concerns what is feasible in real circumstances. Because something is inconvenient, costs money or is an annoyance, do not assume it is not reasonable or practicable to do. In deciding if certain matters are practical (or reasonable) consider (i) what the majority of people would expect or find appropriate, (ii) assess the time and cost involved in complying against benefits and risks (iii) consider alternative methods to achieve a similar result and (iv) take into account the entire situation (For example: impact on patients, urgency of an issue). |
| Primary purpose |
The main reason for which information is collected. For example, in most cases, health information is collected from a patient to provide health care. |
| Privacy5 |
The individual's right or expectation that health information and other identifying information will not be disclosed. |
| Reasonable |
Refer to 'Practical'. |
| Reasonable expectation |
Means that the purpose is closely related to the healthcare of the patient and/or that the use or disclosure was communicated when the information was collected. |
| Research6 |
Original investigation undertaken to gain knowledge, understanding and insight. It is a broad concept and there is no simple, single way to define research for all disciplines. |
| Use |
Of information refers to the communication or handling of information within the WA health system. The WA health system is considered a single entity under the Framework. Therefore, sharing information between Health Service Providers, the Department and Contracted Health Entities is considered use. |
| WA health system |
Pursuant to section 19(1) of the Health Services Act 2016, means the Department of Health, Health Service Providers and to the extent that Contracted Health Entities provide health services to the State, the Contracted Health Entities. |