Voices Magazine Vol3-Issue 1

VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | April - June 2019 22 T he College of Health Sciences on May 16, 2019 hosted a successful inaugural Health Information Management Conference at the Papine Campus, under the theme, “The Changing Landscape in Health Information Management.” The conference focused on developing trends in Health Information Management and their impact on Jamaica’s health care delivery systems, health professionals and the general public. Mr. Raphael Barrett, Consultant, National Health Financing and Health Management Systems/Organisations was keynote speaker at the opening ceremony. Mr Barrett emphasized that as the idea of an integrated national health management system unfolds, privacy must be paramount in instilling public confidence in the system. “Even when the framework enabling cross-facility sharing is in full swing, patients should have full control of who can access their health records,” he noted. He stressed that “the concern ought to be how data is secured and made confidential, so that patients have the confidence that their medical data is released only with their permission. “It ought not to be automatic that you enter the system, by registering your condition at a health centre and when you go to the hospital, they can just pop it up without asking if they can have access to your data. You should have control over it. Security and confidentiality begin with respecting and recognizing that the data is yours,” he said. Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Dr. Janet Campbell- Shelly, Dean, College of Health Sciences, Dr. Casimiro Dias, Advisor, Health Systems and Services, PAHA/WHO and Mr. Shawn Bolton, Director, Systems Information and Technology Unit, Ministry of Health and Wellness and was chaired by Conference Chair Dr. Nola P. Hill-Berry, Lecturer/Programme Leader, Health Information Technology, COHS. Speakers at the symposium were Mr. Greg-Louis Austin, Senior Lecturer, Health Data Security and Privacy, College of Health Sciences, Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, Dean, Faculty of Law, Mrs. Janet Powell, Director, Patient Affairs, University Hospital of the West Indies and Dr. Sean Thorpe, Head, School of Computing and Information Technology. Mr. Austin presented an extensive overview of the various health data formats; Dr. Mahanamahewa spoke on the legal aspects of health data security and the law, with the accompanying challenges and expected impact of the pending Data Protection Act. Mrs. Janet Powell reminded the large audience of health information management professionals about the measures to safeguard confidentiality and privacy of patient records and Dr. Thorpe looked at the importance of establishing a secure infrastructure for wired and wireless based services that support Electronic Health Records (E.H.R) systems through health care providers. Inaugural Health Information Management Conference Health Data Security Symposium: Mr. Greg-Louis Austin (2nd left), Senior Lecturer, Health Data Security and Privacy, College of Health Sciences makes a point during the Health Data Security Symposium. Other members of the panel from left are Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, Dean, Faculty of Law, Mrs. Janet Powell, Director, Patient Affairs, University Hospital of the West Indies and Dr. Sean Thorpe, Head, School of Computing and Information Technology. Conference Chair Dr. Nola P. Hill-Berry presents Mr. Raphael Barrett with a token of appreciation.