Freedom of Information Act: scalpel or just a sharp knife?

Simon Patrick HammondJane L CrossFiona M PolandMartyn PatelBridget PenhaleToby O SmithChris Fox

Published in: Journal of medical ethics (2016)

The concluding statement of the Burns Commission, established to evaluate whether changes are needed to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), ruled no major legislative changes were required. As such Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation still enables anyone to obtain information from public authorities. In this brief report article we explore arguments regarding FOI as an instrument for healthcare research using an international research programme as a case study.

Keyphrases

healthcare
health information
mental health
randomized controlled trial
emergency department
social media
study protocol