Data protection training improves data handling.

Background: Clinicians are required by law to keep personal patient data secure. Data protection training (DPT) has been suggested to educate medical professionals in how to most appropriately manage such information.

Methods: Information regarding the handling, storage and disposal of patient information and prevalence of DPT was gathered using anonymous questionnaires.

Results: The vast majority of doctors (98.6%) handle patient lists containing patient-sensitive information: 15.8 per cent used general waste bins for the disposal of lists and 57.3 per cent removed printed patient lists from hospital premises; 43.3 per cent of doctors had received DPT. A significantly greater proportion of consultants have received DPT, compared with doctors in training. Doctors who have received DPT were less likely to take patient lists away from a hospital site (p=0.011). DPT led to a trend towards increased awareness of the security of the storage location of their patient lists and of trust policy regarding the use of personal USB devices.

Discussion: With the expansion of patient data collection and storage, it is important for doctors to maintain an awareness of how to handle such data. DPT is not currently common practice. Our study suggests positive benefits from DPT, and we suggest it could improve the safety with which patient data is handled.