Health Privacy Principle 4: data security and retention

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Date:

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A clinic leaves patient files on an unlocked reception desk overnight. Which HPP 4 duty has it failed?

A Collecting only the health information it needs

B Taking reasonable steps to protect health information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access

2. Which of these is a security safeguard that supports HPP 4?

A Giving every staff member full access to all patient records

B Encrypting patient records and limiting access to staff who need them

3. Under HPP 4, what should a health service do with health information once it is no longer needed and the retention period has ended?

A Securely destroy it or permanently de-identify it

B Keep it forever in case it is useful later

4. A service provided health care to an adult patient, and the last visit was in 2018. What is the minimum retention period under HPP 4?

A 7 years from the last time a health service was provided

B 1 year from the last time a health service was provided

5. Health information was collected from a child. How long must it be kept under HPP 4?

A Until the person turns 25

B Until the person turns 18

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1HPP 4		AHPP 4: security safeguards
2HPP 4: retention period		BHealth Privacy Principle 4 covers data security and retention. Health information must be protected from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, and be disposed of securely when no longer needed.
3A clinic protects patient records from misuse, loss and unauthorised access using passwords, locked cabinets and access controls		CPutting files in an ordinary bin is not secure disposal. They must be shredded, permanently deleted or de-identified so the information cannot be recovered.
4When health records are no longer needed, they are shredded, permanently deleted or de-identified		DThe minimum time an organisation must keep health records before it may securely destroy or de-identify them.
5HPP 4: keep all health records forever		EHPP 4: secure disposal
6HPP 4: put old patient files in the bin		FHPP 4 does not allow information to be kept indefinitely. Records must be kept for the required retention period, then securely destroyed or de-identified once no longer needed.

Definitions

HPP 4

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

HPP _ covers data security and retention

Protect health information from misuse, loss and ____________ access.

IF noLongerNeeded THEN _______(record)

Keep records only for the required _________ period, then dispose securely.

Use __________ such as encryption and access controls to protect health data.

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A retention_years ← 7

B IF age < retention_years THEN

C securely_destroy(record)

D ENDIF

Question 2

A FUNCTION store(record)

B encrypt(record)

C require_login(record)

D make_public(record)

E END FUNCTION

Question 3

A storage ← shared_open_folder

B access ← staff_with_need

C IF user NOT IN access THEN

D deny(user)

Question 4

A FOR EACH record IN archive

B IF age > retention_years

C securely_destroy(record)

D ELSE leave_open(record)

E END FOR

Question 5

A IF retention_over(record) THEN

B remove_identifiers(record)

C keep_original(record)

D END IF

Answer Key

Health Privacy Principle 4: data security and retention

Section A: Quick Questions

B — Taking reasonable steps to protect health information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access

B — Encrypting patient records and limiting access to staff who need them

A — Securely destroy it or permanently de-identify it

A — 7 years from the last time a health service was provided

A — Until the person turns 25

Section B: Match the Pairs

HPP 4 → Health Privacy Principle 4 covers data security and retention. Health information must be protected from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, and be disposed of securely when no longer needed.

HPP 4: retention period → The minimum time an organisation must keep health records before it may securely destroy or de-identify them.

A clinic protects patient records from misuse, loss and unauthorised access using passwords, locked cabinets and access controls → HPP 4: security safeguards

When health records are no longer needed, they are shredded, permanently deleted or de-identified → HPP 4: secure disposal

HPP 4: keep all health records forever → HPP 4 does not allow information to be kept indefinitely. Records must be kept for the required retention period, then securely destroyed or de-identified once no longer needed.

HPP 4: put old patient files in the bin → Putting files in an ordinary bin is not secure disposal. They must be shredded, permanently deleted or de-identified so the information cannot be recovered.

Section C: Definitions

HPP 4 — Health Privacy Principle 4: protect health information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, and securely destroy or de-identify it when it is no longer needed.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

HPP 4 covers data security and retention

Protect health information from misuse,
loss and unauthorised access.

IF noLongerNeeded THEN
  destroy(record)

Keep records only for the required
retention period, then dispose securely.

Use safeguards such as encryption and
access controls to protect health data.

Section E: Spot the Error

B — The comparison is reversed. This would destroy records that are still inside their retention period. HPP 4 says to destroy a record only after it is no longer needed, so the test should be age > retention_years.

D — Making the record public exposes health information to unauthorised access. HPP 4 requires reasonable safeguards against misuse and unauthorised access, so this line should record access, for example log_access(record).

A — A shared open folder gives no protection against misuse or unauthorised access. HPP 4 expects a security safeguard such as an encrypted server, so the line should be storage ← encrypted_server.

D — Records that are still within their retention period must stay protected. Leaving them open breaks the security safeguard part of HPP 4. The line should be ELSE keep_secure(record).

C — De-identifying a record does not help if the identifiable original is kept. Once health information is no longer needed, HPP 4 requires it to be destroyed or de-identified. The line should be destroy_original(record).