COCIR welcomes EU data protection revision

Tuesday 15th November 2011

The European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR) has welcomed the European Commission’s planned revision of the current data protection legislation, saying that it will define how personal data ­ including health data ­ should be collected, processed, stored and exchanged. 

COCIR has released a position paper with industry recommendations calling for an efficient and harmonised data protection framework in the EU. 

“We need to move from the current fragmented legislative framework to a more uniform EU legislation which would allow the exchange of data across borders, in order to maximise the availability of health data at the point of care in a safe manner,” said Nicole Denjoy, COCIR Secretary General.

COCIR has pledged to share its members’ competencies in evaluating the operational costs of data protection and invited other stakeholders to work together in building trust and confidence in a sustainable healthcare system for tomorrow.

Denjoy believes the forthcoming legislation should take into account innovative technologies that support data flows, such as eHealth, mobile health and cloud computing, which are key to improving quality of care and optimising data flows.

The revised Directive is expected in 2012.

COCIR