Patient data - New law facilitates research with patient data in MV
Clinics in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will be able to use their patients' data more easily for research in the future. A corresponding law was passed by the state parliament in Schwerin. This concerns personal patient data, data from imaging procedures, biomaterials, and genetic data. Hospitals are allowed to exchange the data among themselves. Artificial intelligence can be trained with this.
Data protection activists see a need for action
The law represents an important facilitation for medical research, explained Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD). According to her, the previous data protection regulations have complicated or even prevented clinical research projects. At the same time, the Minister emphasized that data protection would continue to be ensured and that anyone who did not want their data to be used could object at any time. For every research project, moreover, a ethics commission must determine the public interest in advance.
The state data protection authority emphasized in a hearing before the passing of the law that the prerequisite for using patient data is secure structures, for which the hospital is always responsible. Here, there is an "urgent need for action". Several cases have become known in which researchers have processed patient data on insufficiently secured private devices or even on platforms.
- Given the concern for data protection, the Parliament in Schwerin needs to ensure robust security structures in hospitals for the use of patient data in research, as highlighted by the state data protection authority.
- The new law allowing easier access to patient data for research in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's hospitals could significantly advance artificial intelligence training in the medical field, given the vast amount of data available.
- Data protection activists and the public express a need for action to guarantee the secure handling of sensitive patient data, especially in light of past incidents involving insufficiently secured devices or platforms.
- Amidst the growing reliance on technology in healthcare, the Parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's commitment to facilitating clinical research while maintaining data protection is crucial for improving patient care and overall health outcomes in the region.
