Three laws, three starting points
HIPAA is a US law that applies to covered entities (such as providers and health plans) and their business associates. GDPR is an EU regulation protecting people in the EU, with health data as a special category. India's DPDP Act protects the personal data of individuals in India and applies across sectors.
This is engineering guidance, not legal advice. Always confirm with qualified counsel.
What each one is built around
- ✓HIPAA: safeguards for protected health information, through its Privacy, Security and Breach Notification rules. It does not hinge on consent for treatment, payment and operations, but requires minimum necessary use and strong controls.
- ✓GDPR: a lawful basis for processing, with explicit conditions for health data, plus rights such as access, erasure and portability.
- ✓DPDP: consent-centred processing, notice, purpose limitation and obligations on the fiduciary, with defined legitimate uses.
Differences that change your design
- ✓Consent model: DPDP and GDPR push you to record and honour consent per purpose; HIPAA focuses more on authorised use and disclosure.
- ✓Breach notification: the timelines and recipients differ across laws. Build one incident process that can meet the strictest timeline you are subject to.
- ✓Data location: GDPR restricts transfers outside the EU without safeguards. India's law allows transfers except to countries the government restricts. Sector rules and contracts may add limits.
- ✓Certification: There is no official “HIPAA certification”. Be cautious of any vendor claiming one; ask for evidence of controls instead.
Where to go next
If you operate in India, start with the DPDP checklist for hospitals. If you are connecting to ABDM, see how consent fits in the integration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a HIPAA certification?
No official government HIPAA certification exists. Vendors can show evidence of controls and audits, and sign business associate agreements where required.
Do we need to comply with all three laws?
Only those that apply to the individuals whose data you handle and where you operate. Counsel can confirm which apply.
Can one architecture satisfy all three?
A strong common baseline covers most needs, with configuration for differences such as consent handling, retention and breach timelines.
Need help with this in your hospital?
Tell us your systems and your goal. We'll map it to a scoped plan.
Talk to our team →This guide is general information for engineering and planning purposes. It is not legal advice, and regulations and specifications change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or qualified counsel.
