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1 of 3|Industry Compliance
video 15 min•Sector Requirements
Healthcare
Protecting sensitive medical data.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- ▸ Understand the sensitivity of health data
- ▸ Analyze the intersection of DPDPA and health regulations
The High-Risk Sector
In the healthcare sector, Data Fiduciaries include hospitals, diagnostic labs, and health-tech apps. They process sensitive data like medical history, test results, and mental health records.
Under the DPDPA, health data is not explicitly defined as "sensitive" like in GDPR, but the risk-based approach means the Board will expect higher security safeguards for medical data.
A breach of health data will likely attract the maximum penalty under Section 8(5) for failure to take reasonable security safeguards.
📖 Glossary
- Health Data
- Personal data related to the physical or mental health of a person.
- Telemedicine
- The remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Health data requires the highest level of security.
- Consent must be explicit and informed.
- Hospitals must ensure data is not shared with unauthorized third parties.
📚 Further Reading
- DPDPA Section 8(5) — Government of India (2023)
Course Author
Shilpi Kulshrestha
Shilpi is a corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience in data protection, company law, and regulatory compliance. She has advised 50+ startups and enterprises on DPDPA readiness, privacy gover...