From vkh0303@doh.wa.gov Thu Apr 15 16:09:59 1999 Received: from mxu3.u.washington.edu (mxu3.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.7]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.02/8.9.3+UW99.01) with ESMTP id QAA122136 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 1999 16:09:59 -0700 Received: from smtp.doh.wa.gov (hub.doh.wa.gov [192.230.1.5]) by mxu3.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.02/8.9.3+UW99.01) with SMTP id QAA19307 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 1999 16:09:58 -0700 Received: from Connect2 Message Router by smtp.doh.wa.gov via Connect2-SMTP 4.00; Thu, 15 Apr 99 15:49:14 -0700 Message-ID: <1980804A014C3700@smtp.doh.wa.gov> Date: Thu, 15 Apr 99 15:48:51 -0700 From: "Hohner, Vicki K." Sender: "Hohner, Vicki K." To: diane.patterson@yvmh.org Cc: waphgis@u.washington.edu Subject: Fwd: Re: WAPHGIS: GIS AND CONFIDENTIALITY X-mailer: Connect2-SMTP 4.00 MHS to SMTP Gateway Vicki Hohner, Data Products Manager Hospital and Patient Data Systems Department of Health Phone: (360) 236-4211 FAX: (360) 664-8579 MS: 7811 Internet: VKH0303@DOH.WA.GOV ********************* Forwarding Message ********************* Richard E. Hoskins eMAIL: REH0303@doh.wa.gov tel: 360-236-4270 fax:360-236-4245 ********************* Forwarding Message ********************* Dick, I am working for a Health Data Mapping Project that collects data related to respiratory health in Southeast Toronto. Most of the data is private and confidencial. Partners of the project can access it via maps that do not show precise locations (random location of points etc). Rates are also used extensively to get away from absolute counts. Our spatial units are very small and have on average 300 people. Obviously there is much more to this problem, but in short we have not managed to cross the line of data dissemination for the same simple reason - data confidentiality and sensitivity. One last thing I should mention is that we have developed a password access to different levels of customized mapping software. At the first two levels data cannot be accessed, but maps can still be made and seen based on it. The adnavced level recquiring additional password allows the user to access data files. The access to all three levels and to the computers itself is controlled by a security software. I hope that gives you a taste of what we do here. Should you have any questions I will be happy to answer them. You can also check out our sceleton web pages at: www.geog.utoronto.ca/deptprogs/seto/index2.html Peter Gozdyra > > Colleagues: Perhaps you can respond to the message below. Please share > your responses with the listserve if you also contact her directly. If an > agency were to draw up a set of confidentiality guidelines, what are the > issues? Why is this important? What problems have you had displaying, > using maps with sensitive data? What guidelines or policies does your > organization have in place generally and how does that impact the use of > GIS? Have you had an instance where GIS use compromised someone's > privacy? Do you know who really knows all about this? If you have written > about this, could we have access to your papers or a citation? > > Thanks > > Richard E. Hoskins > eMAIL: REH0303@doh.wa.gov > tel: 360-236-4270 > fax:360-236-4245 > > Washington State Public Health & GIS listserve > WAPHGIS@u.washington.edu > WA DOH & NW Center for Public Health Practice > at Univ WA in Seattle > > > ********************* Forwarding Message ********************* > Dick > > We've been discussing this topic in light of the agency work around > confidentiality and in a data release group that is working to develop an > agency policy around data release. We are looking into feeding this topic > into a regional conference, and I was interested in knowing if there are > any "industry" guidelines around GIS and health information in > particular, and if you could point me to those or to knowledgeable > persons that we could discuss with or invite as presenters. Thanks for > the help! > > Vicki Hohner, Data Products Manager > Hospital and Patient Data Systems > WA State Department of Health > Phone: (360) 236-4211 > FAX: (360) 664-8579 > MS: 7811 > Internet: VKH0303@DOH.WA.GOV > > > -- ********************************************* Peter Gozdyra =================== Research Associate Dpt. of Geography and Planning, U. of Toronto ------------------- 100 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3 Room 617A - Cartography Office (416)978-3378, fax: (416)946-3886 =================== 96 Boustead Ave., Toronto, ON M6R 1Y9, Canada (416)604-1735 =================== .