Representative Proposal of Amendments to the Medical Service Act and the Long-Term Care Insurance Act for the Elderly
Jo In-cheol, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), announced on the 11th that he has taken the lead in proposing the "Medical Service Act Amendment" and the "Long-term Care Insurance for the Elderly Act Amendment" to strengthen privacy protection when providing video information in operating rooms and long-term care institutions.
The current Medical Service Act and Long-term Care Insurance for the Elderly Act do not have clear regulations regarding de-identification measures such as mosaic processing when providing videos recorded in operating rooms and long-term care institutions. As a result, sensitive body parts of patients and beneficiaries may be exposed, increasing the possibility of infringement on personal dignity and privacy. Additionally, when beneficiaries or their guardians wish to receive video information, separate safety measures such as mosaic processing must be taken according to the Personal Information Protection Act, which also imposes processing costs.
Therefore, it is urgently necessary to mandate de-identification measures, such as covering specific body parts, when the head of a medical institution or the operator of a long-term care institution allows viewing or provides video information.
Rep. Jo said, "We must not allow the law to lag behind scientific and technological advances and leave human rights in blind spots," adding, "It is expected that the mandatory de-identification measures in this amendment will minimize the possibility of personal information infringement and economic burdens on patients and beneficiaries."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
