Important GDPR Tips for the Healthcare Industry

The key data processing principles under GDPR follow transparency, lawfulness, fairness, purpose limitation, accuracy, data minimization, storage limitation, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability.

Fremont, CA: The European Union General Data Protection Regulation, popularly known as GDPR, is often challenging for many companies. The struggle gets even more intense for entities, like startups, connected with health technologies and related services, which involve the processing of health-related personal data that comes under Article 9 GDPR - Special Categories of Personal Data. Companies should address compliance with GDPR at the earliest and frequently evaluate in order to avoid any possibility of hefty fines. This article offers tips on establishing data protection and privacy practices that comply with GDPR.

Understanding Data Processing Principles

The key data processing principles under GDPR follow transparency, lawfulness, fairness, purpose limitation, accuracy, data minimization, storage limitation, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability. The first and foremost step is to understand what the key data processing principles mean in practice. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and national data protection authorities in EU member states offer handy introductory materials and guidelines, which can be a great place to start.

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Understanding Your Role and Responsibilities under GDPR

In order to understand what is required under GDPR, a few things should be thought upon before proceeding ahead- the company is a data controller or a data processor? Can it be considered a joint controller?

A controller is a legal or natural person, public authority, agency, or other entity that, alone or collaboratively with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

A joint controller is a natural or legal person, agency, public authority, or other body that, together with another controller, resolve the purposes and means of the processing of personal data. Joint controllers must determine in a clear term their respective responsibilities for compliance with obligations under GDPR. Particularly, this is applicable for enabling data subjects when it comes to exercising their rights under GDPR and to the responsibilities of joint controllers aimed at providing relevant information to the data subjects.