Protection of computerized medical data--a problem?

The rules of South African and international law and practice in respect of the medical practitioner's duty to preserve confidential information are briefly analysed and the consequences of breaches of this duty discussed. The impact of computer technology on medical practice and the attendant risks of 'information leaks' from medical data banks are reviewed. A call is made for a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of computerization and confidentiality involving the medical, legal and data-processing professions.