Qatar’s leading role in developing new data privacy laws and secure networks is one of the key findings of a study conducted by a team from Weill Cornell
Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).
Findings of the study, which marks the first and most comprehensive systematic review of e-health in the GCC, have been published by students from WCM-Q.
E-health is an emerging best practice in modern healthcare in which the electronic delivery of health information and services over the Internet can benefit healthcare practitioners, patients and scientists in numerous ways.
In a statement yesterday, WCM-Q explained that the study surveyed the state of research into e-health in the GCC countries and located several research gaps where further studies were needed, such as cost-benefit analyses and more randomised controlled trials to demonstrate actual benefits of e-health initiatives in the
region.
The results were then published by the Royal Society of Medicine’s Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
Dr Alan S Weber, visiting associate professor of English at WCM-Q, led the research team, which comprised students Rebal Turjoman, Mu Ji Hwang, Faryal Malick, Farah al-Sayyed and Yanal Shaheen.
Qatar’s leading role in developing new data privacy laws and secure networks was an important finding of the study, the statement noted. “Researchers at ICTQatar, Qatar University and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar know that medical privacy and confidentiality are key patient concerns in the Muslim world,” Dr Weber said.
Several studies have shown that patients are reluctant to use Internet services related to medicine or banking if they feel that their private information could be stolen or misused. Most of the studies located by the authors were conducted in Saudi Arabia, which has a thriving research culture in medical informatics, telemedicine and e-health.