COLOMBIA

On February 17, the Colombian Ministry of Health published a draft decree regulating the interoperability of vital Electronic Health Record data across the country. This document establishes the principles, definitions and guidelines for the management of such data, aimed at ensuring that all public and private health service providers share this information and provide continuous care to patients. Comments may be submitted until Tuesday, March 3, 2020 by email to [email protected].

Some of the key aspects of the measure are:

• Adoption of interoperability mechanism. This contains health care data to be used for providing ongoing health care and limits health care providers from modifying certain health care data.

• Implementation. The mechanism for the interoperability of vital medical history data, the phases and terms of adoption and implementation are yet to be established.

• Data layout. Health care providers in the country and other actors authorized to use the interoperability system must ensure data on health care is provided on a permanent basis.

• Information security and personal data protection. Actors must undertake to ensure the truthfulness, integrity, availability of vital data, using the techniques necessary to avoid the risk of impersonation, alteration, loss of confidentiality and any undue or fraudulent or unauthorised access to them.

• Inspection, surveillance and control. The National Health Authority is responsible for supervising the activities related to this matter, and verifying whether they are undue, fraudulent or unauthorized.