Data security is a big issue these days.

The implications of this are greater than you might initially think.

The case of Hadiza Bawa-Garba sent shockwaves throughout the medical community, and junior doctors in Australia are not immune to the implications of this case. Bawa-Garba, a junior doctor in the UK, was struck off the medical register after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter in the death of a young child.

One of the most concerning aspects of this case for junior doctors in Australia is the misuse of portfolio data. Bawa-Garba's e-portfolio, which documented her training and development as a doctor, was used as evidence against her in court. This has raised concerns among junior doctors about the security of their own portfolio data and the potential for it to be used against them in the future.

Junior doctors in Australia should be aware that their portfolio data is sensitive information and should be treated as such. It is important to ensure that portfolio data is stored securely and only accessible to those who have a legitimate need to see it.

We know that openly confronting performance data allows doctors to reflect and improve. However, fear about storing data and having that inappropriately used against you is one reason clinicians resist fully embracing this philosphy

Osler is a completely independent platform - it is not linked or owned by any college, indemnity society, hospital or government agency. Osler staff members can only access data if given specific instruction to do so (such as sorting out any issues you have), and even then do not access specific fields likely to contain sensitive information.

For more information, here is Osler’s privacy statement