In this series of articles, the author discusses the potential risks, benefits, and liabilities associated with using electronic communications and computer-based records to manage a patient's medical information.   This second article in the series considers the role and responsibility of the healthcare professional in collecting and sharing a patient's private personal and medical data in online environments.   Current practices and the potential pitfalls of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) are reviewed.  

Keywords:  Electronic communications, computer-based medical record, patient medical data, personal medical data, computer record, medical data, patient care, patient healthcare, data privacy, personal information technology.

Citation:  Day J.  Privacy and Personal Health Data in Cyberspace:  The Role and Responsibility of Healthcare Professionals.  J Contemp Dent Pract 2001 Jan;(2)1: 045-056.