In Kazakhstan, the retention periods for personal medical data will be established. The relevant draft order has been prepared by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The document has been published on the portal "Open Regulatory Legal Acts". It will be available for public discussion until February 14, as reported by the business information center Kapital.kz.
Amendments are proposed to the order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated April 14, 2021, "On the approval of the rules for the collection, processing, storage, protection, and provision of personal medical data by digital healthcare entities."
The amendments stipulate the establishment of the following retention periods for personal medical information obtained from diagnostic equipment:
- for adults (aged 15 and older) — 10 years;
- for children (under 15 years) — 15 years.
As specified, the following will be retained during the designated time: audio recordings, biomagnetic images, computed tomography, color Doppler mapping, X-rays, ECGs, endoscopy results, intravascular ultrasound, oral cavity X-rays, MRI, ultrasound, sonograms, photo and video materials from endoscopic and microscopic studies, and other medical data.
After the specified periods, personal data and accompanying medical information obtained from diagnostic equipment will be subject to deletion.
At the same time, personal information will be recorded with the assignment of a unique identification number.
The order also specifies that when collecting and processing personal medical data obtained from diagnostic equipment, compliance with the requirements of the National Standard ST RK ISO 12052-2021 "Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM), including process and data management" is necessary.
It is worth noting that it was previously reported that the fight against falsifications in medical institutions will be conducted using facial biometrics. The mechanism for confirming visits to specialists has been implemented in 37 medical facilities in the capital, involving more than 600 specialists. Of the 49,265 patients who visited doctors in outpatient clinics, 85% were identified using Face ID mechanisms and the "Digital Document" service.
"As anticipated earlier, since the introduction of the patient identification system, the total number of medical services provided has preliminarily decreased by 24.5%, especially among the top 20," the department summarized.
The digital mechanisms for patient identification implemented in outpatient clinics on a pilot basis have reduced the possibility of inflating medical services. The final results will be assessed at the conclusion of the pilot project.
"By the end of this year, the pilot project will show results in Astana, and from January 1, it is planned to gradually scale it up across the entire republic. This will become an effective tool to reduce inflations. The biometric identification system will ensure accurate recording of services provided, making it impossible to falsify reports on patient visits and, consequently, preventing misallocation of both budget funds and contributions from insured citizens," the Ministry of Health noted.