Data security in medical translation apps: GDPR and HIPAA compliance

In a digital world where communication is crucial for health care, it’s essential to choose a translation app that offers both high linguistic quality and ensures data security and personal data protection. GDPR, HIPAA, patient data, and personal information are critical factors to consider when using machine translation and medical translation apps in health care. So let’s dig a little deeper into what this means.

How does GDPR affect the use of medical translation apps?

According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personal data must be processed securely and only for legitimate purposes. In health care, this means an extra level of responsibility since patient data is classified as sensitive personal information. According to the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY), organizations must take appropriate security measures to protect this data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

Are medical translation apps HIPAA compliant?

For healthcare providers operating in the United States, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance is a crucial factor when choosing a translation app. HIPAA sets strict standards for how protected health information (PHI) is handled, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient data. A translation app that complies with HIPAA must implement strong encryption, restrict access to sensitive data, and ensure that no patient information is stored or shared without authorization.

Risks with generic translation apps

Can you use Google Translate in health care? Well, the answer would maybe be: At your own risk.

Many popular translation apps, such as Google Translate or DeepL, use cloud-based AI technology to process and improve their language models. However, these services do not always comply with GDPR's or HIPAA’s data security requirements:

Storage of personal data: Some services store entered text to improve their algorithms, meaning patient data may be stored outside the EU or the US compliance frameworks.
Sharing with third parties: Some translation services share data with third-party providers, which could lead to patient information ending up in the wrong hands.
Lack of anonymization: If data is not properly anonymized, there is a risk that identifiable information could be leaked, violating both GDPR and HIPAA regulations.
Risk of unauthorized access: HIPAA requires stringent access controls, which generic translation apps may lack, increasing the risk of patient data exposure.

These are all things you need to keep in mind and research before choosing a medical translation app for your or your organizations use.

Why is Care to Translate a more secure alternative?

Care to Translate has been specifically developed for health care and prioritizes data security:

No patient data is stored: Care to Translate only processes necessary data for the app to function, and no patient information is stored in the system.
Anonymized data: All collected information is fully anonymized, meaning no identifiable information is saved or shared.
No third-party sharing: Care to Translate does not share any data with external providers or advertising networks.
Secure communication: Encryption and robust security measures protect users' data from unauthorized access.

Live Translate: Secure real-time translation

One of the most innovative features of Care to Translate is Live Translate, a secure real-time translation service for healthcare professionals:

No data is stored: Neither audio, text, nor translated content is saved anywhere in the system.
High security level: Uses advanced encryption and AI technology without compromising patient confidentiality.
Full control: Users always have control over the feature and can enable or disable it as needed.

What is the best translator for medical terms?

When choosing a translation app for health care, data security, GDPR and HIPAA compliance are critical factors. Generic machine translation services may pose risks to patient data, whereas Care to Translate offers a secure and reliable solution tailored for health care. By selecting an app that protects personal data and respects patient privacy, healthcare providers can both streamline communication and ensure compliance with GDPR and HIPAA.

If you want to learn more about how Care to Translate can be integrated into your organization, contact us today!