Data protection legislation: interpretation and barriers to research

摘要

The interpretation of the Data Protection Act 1998 and how it affects the NHS, healthcare, and epidemiological research is riddled with uncertainties. Clarification is needed to determine how the common law duty of confidentiality affects the health sector in terms of using patients' data for research. Different interpretations of the act and the duty of confidentiality may adversely affect the ability of researchers to conduct multicentre studies.