The Council of Europe has issued a set of guidelines to its 47 member states urging them to ensure, in law and practice, that the processing of health-related data is done in full respect of human rights, notably the right to privacy and data protection.
With the development of new technological tools in the health sector the volume of health-related data processed has grown exponentially showing the need for guidance for health administrations and professionals.
In a Recommendation, applicable to both the public and private sectors, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, calls on governments to transmit these guidelines to health-care systems and to actors processing health-related data, in particular health-care professionals and data protection officers.
The recommendation contains a set of principles to protect health-related data incorporating the novelties introduced in the updated Council of Europe data protection convention, known as “Convention 108+”, opened for signature in October 2018.
