LONDON, March 14, 2017 — IDC Health Insights has published a new IDC PlanScape: EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance for IT Security in Healthcare (IDC #EMEA42309917, March 2017) that provides insights into the adoption of GDPR for healthcare organizations. The research will help healthcare IT leaders define a compliant information management strategy, including the data governance mechanisms and the desired technology architecture that can enable its implementation. It also provides guidance on the information strategy implementation by identifying the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders.

This new IDC PlanScape is based on continuous research on healthcare IT trends, particularly GDPR and its implications. The research includes six in-depth executive interviews with healthcare providers and security specialists across Western Europe. The interviews contributed practical insights into implementation initiatives, best practices, and an interpretation of GDPR in a healthcare perspective.

IDC Health Insights has also designed a GDPR readiness assessment tool for healthcare providers to assess their GDPR readiness and maturity before and during implementation. The tool can be applied on a national as well as regional level in order to monitor the progress of the hospitals involved from one year to the next.

"GDPR can drive significant clinical and business benefits, but its implementation is a complex undertaking for healthcare provider organizations," said Jonas Knudsen, research director, IDC Health Insights EMEA. "It demands a step-by-step approach based on a shared vision between the IT department, clinicians, and the organization's executives."