The United States recently became the first country to participate in the new Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (“APEC”) Privacy Recognition for Processors (“PRP”) program. Finalized in 2016 and designed to certify privacy compliance for personal information processors within the Asia-Pacific region, the PRP program offers a trustmark certification to processors that demonstrate their capacity to assist data controllers in complying with relevant privacy obligations. According to APEC, the PRP program was created so that (1) data controllers are able to identify qualified data processors to implement data controllers’ data processing obligations, (2) data processors are able to demonstrate their ability to provide effective implementation of a controller’s privacy requirements, and (3) small and medium-sized institutions are able to gain exposure and visibility into a global data processing network. Continue reading “United States Is First Country to Join APEC Privacy Recognition for Processors Program”
Tag: asia
Singapore Addresses Confidentiality of Electronic Patient Records in New Healthcare Services Bill
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) recently drafted a new Healthcare Services (HCS) Bill aimed to bridge the gap between the country’s changing healthcare needs and technological advances. According to the MOH, the healthcare landscape in Singapore is undergoing significant changes, including an ageing population, increased chronic disease prevalence, and advancements in medicine and health technologies. The HCS Bill will “better safeguard the safety and well-being of patients, while enabling new and innovative services that benefit patients to be developed, in the changing healthcare environment.”
Currently, healthcare providers in Singapore are licensed and regulated under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMCA), which was designed to protect patient safety through the licensing of physical healthcare premises. But, brick and mortar locations are quickly becoming a thing of the past as more and more healthcare services are delivered through mobile and online channels. MOH intends to respond to this shift by repealing the PHMCA and replacing it with this new HCS Bill.