As the global health care market.

Is increasingly moving to digital channels for communication and marketing, privacy considerations are more important than ever. As Healthcare is a highly regulated industry, it’s really important for companies and agencies to be aware of privacy laws and regulations, and to develop strategies for protecting patient information. As an agency that has been working in this space for more than 30 years, we have plenty of experience in this field and know the importance that privacy has on any kind of communication, being that with doctors, health care professionals or patients. 

The process of having a healthy communication (pun intended) consists of many steps and processes, but can be summed up in three basic points: 

1. First, you have to be aware of the applicable laws and regulations. Every country has its laws and needs regarding privacy and digital security, but they all have one thing in common: the best interest of the users. As such, the first step in building a well-structured strategy in data governance and privacy is to put the user first. Sometimes, when dealing with digital channels, that are heavily based – and heavily optimizable – with data, we can be tempted to gather every single data point possible from a user, with the sole intent of making the service better and more customizable. But, by doing so, we need to be aware of the implications that it may generate lately and ensure the eventual pros will outweigh the cons of dealing with legislation barriers and the need to have heavier security protocols and processes.

2. Digital channels are just new ways to establish a relationship with patients/clients, and, as any other kind of relation, consent is key. Having the patients understand and agree with how and which data your product is going to collect about them is the first step to abide most of the local laws and, the most important, establish trust with the user.

3. When you are developing a plan of how you will handle the information, good intentions are not enough. When dealing with very valuable information we have to be completely sure of how that information is going to be protected from bad actors and how/where it is going to be stored/accessed. Defining protocols (both digital and physical) about who can view, manipulate, and process the data is the first step to guarantee peace of mind for you to ensure the data you are collecting is going to be used only in the best interest of your user. 

We know that much more is needed to develop a digital product/campaign that complies with the privacy and security laws and reach its goals. But having those three points in mind when dealing with it, will surely improve your vision of the process and make you proud of having an outstanding digital product/communication that not only works but respect its users. They’ll notice too.