One main objective of SEISMED (Secure Environment for Information Systems in Medicine) is to develop a consistent, harmonised and transferable framework which can be used to efficiently implement security and data protection in computerised information systems throughout Europe. In order to provide guidelines for professional conduct and to promote international cooperation, it would be useful to have an international deontology code for the protection of medical data. The purpose of such a code would be to provide general guidelines as a foundation for national codes that may be developed within individual countries.

A deontology code has no formal legal force, which means that it cannot be used in litigation as a legal base for a decision. However, the code can be used as a reference document to strengthen the line of argument. In addition, the code can be used as a reference document by medical profession for questions of ethical behaviour. The code provides answers allowing the physicians to use these rules to solve individual cases. The salience of a code is in direct relationship to the difficulty and frequency of ethical problems in a profession. People in the health-care sector are continually confronted with ethical problems that a code would help to clarify. So the code could definitely be used. Moreover, the code is needed because the golden rule “doing unto others as you would like others to do unto you” can be a poor approach to a professional- patient relationship and because the patients' view may be different from the professionals' view. The code could actually help to prevent the passage of restrictive laws by making them appear less necessary. Codes also help to eliminate unethical practices that lead to lawsuits; they clarify standards of practice and leave fewer issues to be settled in court. Other arguments in favour of a deontology code are that a code would protect present and future patients from harm, would influence public policy and would improve the image of the profession. This last argument should however be a side effect rather than the main intention of the code.

It is worthwhile to mention that a deontology code has to exist within the legal framework. This goes also for the following health informatics deontology code which fits into the data protection legislations of the different European countries.

Sometimes the deontology code will appear rigid, but this is unavoidable if it is to meet the legal provisions of the different European countries regarding medical data protection. However, there is always the possibility of changing those strict legislations by harmonisation. Therefore, this code could bring legislator and practitioners together to change rules if necessary.

Finally, all problems with regard to medical data protection could not be entirely covered by the code. For example, the communication of medical data by the physician to an insurance company or to an employer, which are both no part of the health care sector, is submitted to the relevant existing national legislation.