On 5th April I heard on 'BBC R4 Today' from 41.30... news (and a brief but interesting) discussion -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029rg4
- of an exhibition in Manchester that may be of interest, if you're local, but it is also accessible online:
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2025/04/com...
'A digital exhibition featuring 40 items that tells the tale of how privacy has been at the centre of some of the biggest events and milestones we remember over the past four decades was launched last Autumn, but now a physical exhibition has come to Manchester.
From 2 April to 30 June, we will be displaying the exhibition at Manchester Central Library in the first-floor exhibition space. Members of the public are welcome to pop in and see the items that have shaped our lives and our privacy. The ‘Our Lives, Our Privacy’ exhibition highlights poignant events in history including the launch of social media, the News of the World phone hacking scandal and the Covid 19 pandemic to name a few. It also looks at technological advancements like smart devices and raising questions about the future, including how accurate the episodes of ‘Black Mirror’ really are.'
I have also posted this news, and initially thought it seemed more concerned with 'admin', records ... but perhaps it is more relevant to HIFA than first impression? ...
As is often the case - with Hodges' model in (my) mind - the message is broad and general in its relevance, but then this reflects the scope of 'information' as with 'data', 'knowledge' and 'wisdom'. With 'information' key to HIFA's existence, partnerships, work and future, information and its derivation, life cycle, security and regulation should be of relevance - even if not a routine day-to-day concern.
To a degree the exhibition within the message concerns 'information governance' which has emerged as a key facet of mandatory training for all disciplines.
An inevitable module within an e-learning course, or face-to-face session, as often adopted by recruitment agencies delivering mandatory training in a day.
Health care staff have seen the requirements for compliance from their respective professional organisations, and change over the years of media, paper (files left in skips), floppy disks, CDs, formats - message types, risks of loss - laptops, data - memory - sticks, usb hard discs ...
If found wanting, professionally we cannot claim ignorance of regulation and law while we focus on universal access, health information for all, health promotion activities whether in cities, rural and remote communities. For HIFA practitioners and staff working as clinicians - info governance may be once-removed but it is always there - ready to 'tap us on the shoulder'.
Similarly, were AI is concerned 'Chat GPT .. Does ChatGPT provide reliable healthcare information?'.
How do we know that an information source is intact, not corrupted/altered, and establish provenance?
As in Caroline's message: https://hifa.org/dgroups-rss/please-send-details-international-patient-i...
Such is the rapid pace of technical change, that information governance itself struggles to keep-up with policy.
A prime example being AI, genomics, technology colonialism, children's mental health, smartphones, advertising - foods/beverages ...
This is surely something that HIFA should have awareness of, as per many replies in this particular thread. Awareness, in order to preserve and extend HIFA in theory, practice, management and policy?
Potentially a part of HIFA's advocacy work, even if not required to date? As world-events reveal - preparedness is all important.
The UK ICO adopts what will be international information standards (ISO) that facilitate interoperability and integration of information systems.
It is easy to take the 'information infrastructure' for granted?
As mentioned before what is SOCIO-technical becomes visible, with the human contribution in the IT - information security chain, so often the 'weakest link'.
In 'mHealth-Innovate .. Pressure to use a personal phone or buy a smartphone' it is helpful for staff to be able to have contact with their home/family.
Care needs to be exercised in (for example) mental health and social services, were the phone could be key in untoward incidents, resulting in litigation, loss of life and coroners court.
Given HIFA's 'community' -
".. of health professionals, publishers, librarians, technologists, researchers, policymakers, and patient representatives* .. " and belief in a purpose that is human rights based educational, health promoting ... obviates a need for an awareness of information governance would be misguided?
Especially so given the multi-contextual complexity of health and social care (globally esp. on #WorldHealthDay!); and the ongoing need to appraise and protect human values.
*And HIFA's future place within the digital archives of health informatics ...
Kind regards,
Peter Jones
Community Mental Health Nurse, Part-time Tutor and Researcher
Blogging at "Welcome to the QUAD"
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/h2cm
HIFA profile: Peter Jones is a Community Mental Health Nurse with the NHS in NW England and a a part-time tutor at Bolton University. Peter champions a conceptual framework - Hodges' model - that can be used to facilitate personal and group reflection and holistic / integrated care. A bibliography is provided at the blog 'Welcome to the QUAD' (http://hodges-model.blogspot.com). h2cmuk AT yahoo.co.uk