The OECD health ministers’ meeting on Tuesday 17 January in Paris (France) concluded with the adoption of a declaration on the next generation of health reforms.
The document contains a recommendation in the annex that calls for implementation of a health data governance framework. The goal is to promote the availability and use of personal health data, whilst ensuring the protection and security of the data in question.
The annex highlights 12 key principles for guiding these governance frameworks. It suggests, for example, providing specific staff training related to personal health data processing based on rules relating to private life and security. It also highlights clear provisions of information to individuals, informed consent and appropriate alternatives based on patients’ preferences. It also recommends improving the compatibility and interoperability of governance frameworks in an effort to facilitate cross-border cooperation.
For all other related issues, the declaration highlights a range of priorities for health ministers such as: 1) improving the provision of high-quality healthcare for all, whilst scrapping inefficient healthcare practices; 2) promoting a reflection into ways of financing efficient health technologies; 3) assessing health care system performances on the basis of what they bring to people; 4) developing person centred health-care systems.
The ministers of more than 35 OECD countries, as well as their counterparts in partner country such as Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Peru, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, attended the Paris meeting. The declaration can be found at: http://www.oecd.org/health/ministerial/ministerial-statement-2017.pdf . (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)