GDPR impact on the Romanian health clinics

Abstract The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Regulation (EU) 2016/679 came into effect on the 25 of May 2018 and changed the way both companies and consumers look at the importance of personal data. While the Regulation aimed to offer better protection of personal data, it also posed many challenges for the companies processing such data. A special category of personal data are the health data, considered sensitive data under the GDPR and subject to special conditions regarding the processing. Therefore, one of the main industries that was highly impacted by GDPR was the healthcare industry. The challenges that the industry faces, especially private small health clinics, are unique among the private companies. Starting from the legal provisions that the healthcare industry must comply to under GDPR, the article analysis the main mistakes that heal clinics make, the causes of such mistakes and the main challenges faced by health clinics, with the aim of offering possible solutions for a better application of the GDPR principles in the activity of health clinics for the benefit of both the healthcare industry and the patient.