Patients’ Personal Data Protection in Providing Medical Care (Services) Using Telemedicine Technologies

Abstract

The study examines the controversial issues of protecting the personal data of patients who receive medical care (medical services) using telemedicine technologies in Russia. Taking into account the analysis of domestic legislation, doctrinal sources, current judicial practice, as well as local acts of specific organizations, attention is drawn to existing terminological problems, the limited scope of telemedicine technologies, the risks of violating medical secrecy in the digital environment and the gap in legislation in this area, the formal approach of medical organizations to the processing of personal data of patients, and the lack of a unified centralized information infrastructure that ensures the interaction of patients and medical workers receiving medical care, both in medical organizations subordinate to federal executive authorities, executive bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, local governments, and in private medical organizations created by legal entities and individuals. Based on the results of the study, the authors elucidate the basic principles and directions for improving the legal regulation of the protection of personal data of patients in the provision of medical care (services) using telemedicine technologies in order to reduce the risks of violation of medical confidentiality.