Privacy and Digital Homecare

When developing new digital homecare applications, including services that enable the exchange of health data between the homecare professionals and the hospital (like an electronic health record), the legal requirements are often considered as a serious bottleneck. However, only a few principles have to be taken into account for the development of a privacy-friendly eHomecare application and they come with a bonus: an easier acceptance and uptake of the application by the public. This chapter therefore wants to set forth a minimum set of legal requirements for the use of eHealth tools in Europe. The project development of an EHR in the homecare sector will function as an example.