Singapore legislation
Section 12
Section 12
Disclosure of individually‑identifiable information for public health research
(1)
A person (called in this section the researcher) who requires any individually‑identifiable information held by the Registry for the purpose of carrying out any medical, epidemiological or other form of public health research concerning any reportable disease may apply to the Registrar in the prescribed form for the disclosure of the information.
(2)
The Registrar may, subject to the conditions that he or she thinks fit to impose and upon the payment by the researcher of the prescribed fees (if any) disclose to the researcher the individually‑identifiable information if the Registrar is satisfied that —
the research cannot be carried out with anonymised information;
the requisite consent has been given for the individually‑identifiable information to be disclosed to the researcher for the purpose of the research;
the research may —
improve the quality of health services provided for patients suffering from any reportable disease in Singapore; or
support any national public health policy, initiative or programme concerning any reportable disease; and
the researcher and the research comply with the prescribed conditions, if any.
(3)
A researcher to whom the individually-identifiable information of any person has been disclosed under subsection (2) must not —
use the individually‑identifiable information for any purpose other than the purpose approved by the Registrar; or
disclose the name or any other individually‑identifiable information of that person unless the requisite consent has been given for the disclosure.
(4)
A researcher to whom the individually‑identifiable information of any person has been disclosed under subsection (2) must not disclose —
the name or any other information leading to the identification of the healthcare institution in which that person has been diagnosed with, or has been or is being examined or treated for, a reportable disease unless the manager of that healthcare institution has given his or her consent for the disclosure in the prescribed form and manner; or
the name or any other information leading to the identification of the person who provided the individually‑identifiable information to the Registrar under this Act, unless that person has given his or her consent for the disclosure in the prescribed form and manner.
(5)
Before making any decision on an application under subsection (1), the Registrar may refer the application to a national research advisory committee comprising at least 3 and not more than 5 members appointed by the Director and, in making a decision, the Registrar must have regard to any report made to the Registrar by the national research advisory committee.
(6)
Where a researcher to whom any individually-identifiable information of any person has been disclosed under subsection (2) contravenes subsection (3) or (4) or any condition imposed under subsection (2), the researcher shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.