Building Public Trust in the Open Utilization of Health Data: The UK Approach

Wang Dandan; Xie Shicheng; Liu Qinghua

doi:10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2025.14.011

Library and Information Service >

2025 , Vol. 69 >Issue 14: 121 - 134

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2025.14.011

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Building Public Trust in the Open Utilization of Health Data: The UK Approach

Wang Dandan ,
Xie Shicheng ,
Liu Qinghua

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Business School of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023

Wang Dandan, professor, PhD, doctoral supervisor, E-mail: wangdan430806@163.com; Xie Shicheng, doctoral candidate; Liu Qinghua, doctoral candidate.

Received date: 2024-11-01

Revised date: 2025-01-27

Online published: 2025-07-14

Supported by

This work is supported by the National Social Science Fund of China project titled “Research on the Open Utilization and Collaborative Governance of Healthcare Big Data” (Grant No. 23BTQ068).

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Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] This paper analyzes the experience of building public trust in the open utilization of health data in the UK, aiming to provide insights and references for global health data governance. [Method/Process] By employing online research and case study methods, and based on the hierarchy model of public trust, this study deconstructed the UK’s practice of building public trust in the open utilization of health data. It summarized the effectiveness and challenges of the UK’s approach and offered forward-looking suggestions in light of the current state of health data open utilization in China. [Result/Conclusion] The UK’s approach deeply highlights the necessity, hierarchy, and long-term nature of building public trust. The hierarchy model of public trust provides a theoretical guide and an implementation roadmap for the public trust. At present, China should focus on authorized operation of public data to promote the compliant and lawful utilization of health data. It should actively advance the construction of trusted health data spaces to address issues related to data security and privacy protection. Moreover, China should explore the implementation of Date Use Register systems and standards to enhance the transparency of health data utilization. At the same time, drawing on the hierarchy model of public trust and considering China’s national conditions, forward-looking research and design should be carried out in three areas: public benefit, opt-out choices, and public involvement.

Key words： health data; open utilization; public trust; UK; data governance

Cite this article

Wang Dandan , Xie Shicheng , Liu Qinghua . Building Public Trust in the Open Utilization of Health Data: The UK Approach[J]. Library and Information Service, 2025 , 69(14) : 121 -134 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2025.14.011

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