Privacy

A cookie is a simple text file that is sent along with pages on a website. This file is stored by the browser on your computer, tablet or mobile phone. A website can recognize the information of the file on a later visit. Some cookies are necessary, otherwise the website will not work. For example for filling in forms.

Your personal data and the results of the population screening are sometimes used for scientific research. If possible, it will be done anonymously. Anonymous means that the data cannot be seen as belonging to you. Exceptions sometimes require personal data that cannot be considered completely anonymous. The researcher still does not know who you are, but we can trace the data back to you. . Even then your privacy is still optimally protected. All personal data for research is processed in highly secured environments. Government agencies have no access to it. Read more about the use of data for scientific research on the RIVM website.

Many people take part in the population surveys. It is therefore important to check whether the population screenings are still good and whether there is room for improvement. This is not possible without also using your data. Sometimes this is done anonymously and sometimes quality officers have access to your personal data. There are agreements about who may view which personal data. Compliance with these agreements is monitored.

Necessary cookies: these cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. These cookies do not collect any information. Statistical cookies: these cookies collect information about the general use of the website. With this information we can better tailor the website to the needs of visitors. No personal data is stored and we cannot see who visits our website. For this we use Google Analytics.

You can contact our data protection officer via functionarisdataprotection@bevolkingsonderzoeknederland.nl.

If you participate in the population screening, we record the results in your file. This is regulated in the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (Wgbo), which we must adhere to. You can always ask for a copy of your file. You can also indicate if you want us to delete your file. This may mean that your care providers cannot use your results of the population screening in the event of a referral. Who receives the results of the population screening? This differs per population study. Cervical cancer population screening GP The laboratory assesses your smear and passes the results on to the doctor. The laboratory also enters the results in our system and in PALGA, a national archive for pathological research. Are you participating in a self-sampling kit? Then the GP will not receive a message: not about your participation and not about the result. Hopital If follow-up tests are needed, your GP will refer you to the hospital. The hospital always informs your GP about the results of the follow-up examination. If pieces of tissue (biopsies) are removed during the follow-up examination, the results of the assessment will also be entered in PALGA. If cancer is found, the hospital will pass this on to the Dutch Cancer Registry (NKR). The NKR uses this data for statistics on cancer in the Netherlands and for improving care for people with cancer. If you do not want the hospital to exchange your data with these parties, you can object to this with the hospital. Breast cancer population screening GP If we find abnormalities during the breast examination, we will pass this on to your GP. He will then refer you to the hospital for further examination. Hopital We make the photos of your breast examination available to the hospital. If you do not want this, you can object to this with us. If pieces of tissue (biopsies) are removed during the follow-up examination, the results of the assessment are also entered in PALGA, a national archive for pathological research. If cancer is found, the hospital passes this on to the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NKR). The NKR uses this data for statistics on cancer in the Netherlands and for improving care for people with cancer. If you do not want the hospital to exchange your data with these parties, you can object to this with the hospital.

Colon cancer population screening GP At your request, we will inform the general practitioner if follow-up testing is required. Hopital If follow-up testing is required, we automatically schedule an intake appointment for follow-up testing and pass on your details to the hospital. The hospital will pass on the results of the follow-up examination to us. If pieces of tissue have been taken during the follow-up examination, the assessment is recorded in PALGA, a national archive for pathological research). If cancer is found, the hospital exchanges this with the Dutch Cancer Registry (NKR). If you do not want the hospital to exchange your data with others, you can lodge an objection with the hospital.

A data set is determined for each health screening program. This comprises the data we need to carry out the health screening, for any referrals to healthcare and for quality control. The data sets are determined by the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in consultation with the program committee of the relevant health screening program.
We receive your personal data from the Personal Records Database in accordance with article 3.3 of the Personal Records Database (BRP) Act.

We use the data to:

• carry out the health screening (invitations, the screening test, issue the result and make any necessary referrals);
• monitor the quality of the health screening program;
• contribute to the evaluation of the health screening program;
• contribute to scientific and statistical research in healthcare.

In processing data we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ‘Legal Framework for Data Exchange in Cancer Screening’ (RIVM, 2017).

Data processing also satisfies the NEN-7510 and ISO27001 information security standards. This means that we have an extensive information security policy. We work in accordance with a strict role and rights system, in which it is stated who may access which data. All employee actions are logged and we use secure connections.
We have appointed a Data Protection Officer, Sandra Blauw (functionarisgegevensbescherming@fsb-ssc.nl). 

We employ the standard storage period as detailed in the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (WGBO) and we save your personal data for 15 years. A shorter period applies to some data. This concerns data that, according to the professional standard, are no longer relevant for the implementation of the health screening.

You have the right to indicate that you would like us to supplement, protect, correct or erase your data. You also have the right to receive your data if you wish to transfer these to another party. After submitting a request for this, you will receive a written notification within one month of receiving application, stating whether and to what extent we can comply with your request. If you wish to modify data that we have received from an external source, you should contact the relevant body.

If you do not want us to process or share your data, you can object to this. The objection options differ per health screening. This relates to the working method and processes that take place within the various health screening programs. The objection options and an explanation of these can be found on the ‘Objection’ page.

You can file an objection via the digital client portal, My Health Screening. You will need your DigiD to log in. You can also contact us to request an objection form, or download an objection from our site. Your objection will be processed once we have received a signed objection form. You will receive a written confirmation of this.

You can withdraw any objection you made at any time. We can no longer retrieve data that has previously been deleted from the system.

You can contact our Complaint Officer or our Data Protection Officer (Sandra Blauw, functionarisgegevensbescherming@fsb-ssc.nl).

If you wish to know which of your data we process, you can request access to this. You will then receive an overview of the data that is recorded in our system. You can contact the screening organisation for this. We will send an application form on which you should indicate the data you wish to access. Once we have received your completed and signed form, we will set your request in motion.