This thesis focuses on the protection of the patient’s privacy in health care in Sweden. It is crucially important that the patient has confidence in the health care and that patient data are kept secret from other persons and authorities. A patient who is unsure about secrecy and confidentiality may choose not to provide data that could prove necessary for health care personnel to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Some individuals might even avoid seeking medical help from fear that data may be spread to outsiders. Inadequate protection of sensitive data may lead to the confidence of citizens in health care eventually eroding or vanishing completely. Protection of patient privacy is thus of fundamental importance in this area. In the area of health care, the intention of the legislator is that the regulations regarding secrecy in public health care and confidentiality in private health care will guarantee protection of patient privacy. Secrecy in public health care is regulated mainly in Chapter 25, Section 1 of the Swedish Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400). In private health care, confidentiality is regulated mainly in Chapter 6, Section 12, first paragraph, and Section 16 of the Swedish Act on Patient Safety (2010:659). The overall purpose of the thesis is to examine and analyse the legislator’s intentions and the juridical construction regarding the rules of secrecy and confidentiality, from the perspective of patient privacy. The starting point of the thesis is that the patient’s privacy should be strongly protected. One of the main conclusions is that the legal construction cannot be considered to be in accordance with the legislator’s intention that the regulation of patient privacy protection should constitute a strong protection for the patient’s privacy, be comprehensible, clear and easy to apply for health care personnel, as well as being the same in both public and private health care.

Occupational Therapy is amongst the top three interventions sought for young children with ASD in South Africa. Due to scarce local research on OT for ASD, this study explored the nature as well as perceptions of OTs on intervention for ASD. Using a qualitative exploratory study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty OTs in public and private health, as well as special needs education. Thematic analysis was used to analyse transcribed data. OTs descriptions and perceptions of assessment, direct and indirect intervention as well as challenges facing families and undergraduate and qualified OTs in South Africa were explored. Assessment for ASD utilised play based skilled observations with limited use of standardised tests. Developmental approaches were preferred to behavioural ones, with the majority of OTs referencing the Sensory Integration (SI) framework for assessment and therapy, even if they were not SI certified practitioners. The value of SI in reframing a child’s behaviour for parents was significant. The South African Model of Creative Ability was a unique local application to practice for ASD. Intervention in education was most ASD specific, including AAC and visual approaches due to a comprehensive programme and greater levels of team collaboration. A family focussed practice was most evident in private and public health. Direct individual therapy was predominant, with all sectors struggling to provide the intensity of therapy recommended for ASD, due to unique contextual challenges. Undergraduate training is insufficient preparation for working with ASD and a need for local OT specialists was identified. Implications for research and practice are discussed. / M.O.T. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.