Messiyah C.

Calamba MLS 1A

Data Privacy Act

Data Privacy Act is an act protecting individual personal information and

communications system in the government and the private sector, creating for this
purpose a national privacy commission, and for other purposes. There are many
instances where DPA is violated in different sectors and this includes information systems
in the hospital.

As I have gone through different sources about this kind of scenario where DPA is
violated, I have read about an article about a forum that talks about the social media
climate in the Philippines and worldwide. It says that social media plays a significant role
in spreading a story, it may be good or bad. So, this forum is connected to the violation
of DPA because Dr. Patdu, whose areas of practice include risk management for
healthcare providers, medico-legal cases, and health policy, cited several case studies
that contravene the patient’s confidentiality. One of this case studies is the “Cebu Canister
Scandal”, wherein three doctors and two nurses faces a charge for videotaping the rectal
surgery and uploading it into a social media platform, YouTube. In this scenario, DPA was
violated as medical professionals harmed the patient’s privacy and his right to gender
identity. According to Dr. Patdu, as a professional, it is their duty to protect patient’s
information and the DPA was just a reinforcement of this duty.

Patients may be vulnerable to identity theft and fraudulent activity because of a

lack of authorization control over personal information. When a patient’s records are all
over the place, it is possible for an ineffective diagnosis to be made, as well as errors in
medical treatment, if the system that stores health information is disorganized. This can
lead to medical damages on the part of the patient as well as on the part of the
management. As a future medical technologist, it is our duty to collect and protect the
patient’s information not just because it is according to the law and it is our job as a
professional but also, we respect the patient’s privacy and their identity. It doesn’t only
affect the records of the patients, it also affects the Health Information Management
System since this is where the data are stored and organized, thus, a mistake or
disorganization of these data could go wrong and may violate the said act. We should
follow the protocols, rules and regulations, laws and acts to have an improvement of our
healthcare facilities, have a safe and easy-going process in the HMIS without violating
the Data Privacy Act.

References:
MakatiMed holds forum on Social Media, Data Privacy Act. (2021, January 15). Makati
Medical Center. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from
https://www.makatimed.net.ph/news/makatimed-holds-forum-on-social-media-data-
privacy-act/