ou might have read some newspaper reports about accidental disclosure of patient information. Not only are these contrary to the Hospital Authority's (HA) policy, they also violate the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The HA has therefore received a warning about them from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong. Those who inappropriately access or disclose such data may face disciplinary action or even legal proceedings.

To raise the awareness of our colleagues about protecting personal data, we highlight here the most common pitfalls and how they can be avoided.