Concerns About Telstra Health Providing The National Cancer Screening Registry Just Rumble On. I Am Not Sure Why.

This appeared last week:

Government-Telstra cancer register deal needs screening

Antony Harrowell
The Australian
12:00AM June 7, 2016

Stumbling down rabbit holes can lead to unexpected places; just ask Alice, she found herself in a Wonderland of strange characters and odd situations.

Her fall may be fictional, but it reflects the same rabbit hole in which Australians may find themselves if the latest deal between the federal government and Telstra is allowed to see the light of day without intense scrutiny. Like Alice, this is a dark comedy that may have severe consequences.

Telstra was recently awarded a $220 million contract by the government to establish a Cancer Register, which is unclear in its objective. That is, to provide “a robust IT solution-based support system for the expanded National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the renewed National Cervical Screening Program” or a full “National Cancer Screening Register”.

Why is the federal government limiting the solution to just two and not all cancers? Is it an IT platform to assist the screening program for those cancers or is it a national register?

This needs to be answered by the government because these are two totally different outcomes, with substantially different implications: one being effectively a contact database, linked to electronic or paper-based reminders not containing sensitive information; and the other being a full personal “cancer” health record containing test results, treatments and other highly sensitive information.

It has been assumed for the federal government to award the $220m contract to Telstra, that it is only a contact database/notification platform. It’s something telcos do routinely.

Everyone receives paper-based, email or SMS notifications to inform them they are near their limits, exceeding their limits or anything else they believe is pertinent to their daily lives, so it makes sense this service be expanded to let us all know when we should be undertaking our cancer screening.

The rabbit hole we potentially find ourselves in occurs if the government deems it appropriate to place our personal medical data, cancer screening results, in the hands of a telco.

Telstra as an organisation has experienced serious data breaches and continues to struggle to operate a stable communications network, which is its core business. There will be no solace in free data days or $25 credits if this environment is breached and the personal health data pilfered.

More here:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/opinion/governmenttelstra-cancer-register-deal-needs-screening/news-story/a72b0e36e6aa8779f1d89d5d3993f1b2

We also had this appear.

Privacy concerns over cancer register

Russell Kennedy

Australia June 9 2016

Telstra Health has won the tender to manage the National Bowel Cancer and Cervical Screening data register. The company will be responsible for collating and amalgamating the data currently stored on separate State databases into one national register and overseeing the register’s operations.

Concerns have arisen over the potential for inadvertent and unauthorised breaches of private information, heightened by recent instances of data released by Telstra.

While the exact nature of the privacy protections outlined in the tender are unknown and it remains unclear whether sufficient avenues will be available to allow consumer actions against Telstra Health as an incentive to strengthen the company’s privacy policies, the Commonwealth privacy legislation will apply to the register and any misuse of data could be an offence under the Criminal Code.

More here:

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=8318cfd2-b00d-4d59-aa8f-320976ff09dd

My view on all this concern is that wherever there is a database of sensitive information there is risk of breach. That being the case I would far rather have my personal information managed by professional health IT staff - as they will be with Telstra Health - rather than small public sector organisations scattered all over the country in State-Based Registries.

To imagine Telstra Health does not understand how important it is they get this one right simply defies common sense. Be assured they will be doing their very best to get this working safely, securely and well.

David.

p.s I notice that the MD of Telstra Health (Shane Solomon) also has a strong take on why every-one should take a deep breath. See here:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/opinion/telstras-national-cancer-screening-register-a-big-step-forward/news-story/137eed93336bf21f6b264b616cef3d52

D.