All pathology results are digitally archived in the Automated National Pathological Anatomy Archive. Every pathology lab in the Netherlands is connected to the national infrastructure. Here we explain how we ensure patients’ privacy, and how we secure medical data.
Palga’s national infrastructure connects every pathology lab in the Netherlands to a decentralised database. There is one national database for patient care, and another one for scientific research and quality of care. Every lab automatically submits its pathology results to these two national databases on a daily basis.
None of the data held in Palga’s database can be traced back to individual patients. Personal data submitted by the labs is pseudonymised twice: before and after it is added to the database.
The reuse of reports for the purpose of scientific research is considered acceptable under the GDPR. Since the data in question is already pseudonymised before it leaves the hospital, no explicit patient consent is needed for its use in scientific research.
