Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has submitted comments to the government's draft legislation for personally controlled e-health records (PCEHR), noting, "Individuals have an interest in clear and consistent privacy protections applying to health information in the PCEHR system, irrespective of where a person accesses it and how that person subsequently stores it." The Australian reports that Pilgrim outlined 22 changes and clarifications and is calling for stronger powers for the information commissioner to audit the system operator and investigate and manage complaints. The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties is focusing on patients' ability to access and control their records, while the Australian Private Hospitals Association is urging the government to make sure all issues are addressed before launching the system. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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