Archives of Hellenic Medicine

Last update:

29-Sep-2023

Arch Hellen Med, 40(5), September-October 2023, 676-687

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Digital health, electronic prescribing and the incorporation of General Data Protection Regulation

A. Petris,^1,4 I. Apostolakis,^2,4 P. Sarafis^3,4
¹Unit of Blood Bank, Panarkadiko "Evangelistria" General Hospital of Tripoli, Tripoli, Peloponnese,
²School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens,
³General Department, University of Thessaly, Lamia,
⁴School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece

The rapidly developing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) introduce a wide range of digital applications in the field of health, in the context of electronic health (e-health) and aim at the prolepsis, diagnosis and management of various diseases. Electronic prescribing is a basic e-health service. However, the digitalization, elaboration and data transfer relating to physical condition and health of citizens lurks the risk of their malicious use. Greek legislation has been harmonized with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) established by the European Union to protect individuals against these risks. The present study describes the applications of e-health and attempts to highlight the improvements that electronic prescribing is amenable to the context of its evolution. In addition, it focuses on problems faced by Greek medical institutions in the implementation of the GDPR and classifies them in general issues, which concern organizational and institutional deficiencies and specifically refer to the need to develop consent forms.

Key words: e-government, Electronic health, Electronic prescribing, General Data Protection Regulation, Mobile health.