This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Igor Nosatov
Introduction: Why Does a Sanatorium Need GDPR?
Modern sanatoriums and resort complexes process massive amounts of personal data: from basic guest information to confidential medical data, financial transactions, and behavioral patterns.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is not just a regulator—it’s a privacy protection philosophy that should permeate the entire architecture of the hotel management system.
Anatomy of Personal Data in a Sanatorium
Categories of data processed by a typical sanatorium:
Basic Personal Data:
- Identification data (full name, passport data, addresses)
- Contact information (phones, email, social networks)
- Demographic data (age, gender, marital status)
Special Categories (particularly sensitive):
- Medical data (diagnoses, contraindications, examination results)
- Biometric data (fingerprints for access, photos for passes)
- Physical and mental health information
Behavioral and Preferences:
- Visit and booking history
- Dietary preferences and allergies
- Accommodation and service preferences
- Financial information and payment history
Privacy by Design: Architectural Principles
1. 
Proactive vs Reactive
The system should prevent privacy violations rather than react to them. In the sanatorium context, this means:
Automatic deletion of expired data- Preventive anonymization of irrelevant records
- Real-time monitoring of access to sensitive data
2. 
Privacy as Default Setting
- Minimal set of mandatory fields during registration
- Optional nature of additional data
- Automatic application of the strictest privacy settings
3. 
Full Functionality
Privacy protection should not reduce service quality:
- Service personalization through anonymized profiles
- Trend analytics without de-anonymization
- Efficient staff work while observing the principle of minimal necessity
Legal Grounds for Processing: Balancing Interests
| Legal Ground | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
 Consent |
The most obvious but most fragile ground | Must be explicit, informed, and revocable |
 Contract Performance |
Main ground for hotel business | Guest registration, services, billing |
| Legitimate Interests |
Most complex for proper application | Safety, fraud prevention, quality improvement |
 Vital Interests |
Critical for medical aspects | Emergency medical care, life threats prevention |
Important Notes:
- Consent: Special consent for processing medical data. Problem: guest can withdraw consent at any time
- Contract Performance: Guest registration, provision of booked services, billing and payment assurance
- Legitimate Interests: Requires balancing with data subject rights
- Vital Interests: Prevention of life and health threats
Data Processing Principles in Practical Application
1. 
Lawfulness, Fairness, Transparency
- Clear privacy policy in understandable language
- Processing purpose notifications at each stage
- Visual data processing indicators in interfaces
2. Purpose Limitation
- Strict compliance with stated purposes
- Prohibition on data processing for incompatible purposes
- Documentation of all changes in processing purposes
3. Data Minimization
- Collection of only necessary data
- Regular audit of used fields
- Deletion of unused data
4. Accuracy
- Data verification procedures
- Correction capabilities for data subjects
- Automatic error detection and correction
5. 
Storage Limitation
- Storage policies for each data category
- Automated deletion
- Archiving with enhanced protection
6. 
Integrity and Confidentiality
- Encryption at all levels
- Access control based on minimal necessity principle
- Monitoring and auditing of all operations
Data Subject Rights: Technical Implementations
Right to Information and Access
- Automatic reports on collected data
- Self-service interfaces for data viewing
- Data export in structured formats
Right to Rectification
- Interfaces for self-editing
- Change verification procedures
- Third-party notifications about changes
Right to Erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
- Automated deletion procedures
- Consideration of exceptions (legal storage requirements)
- Cascading deletion of related data
Right to Restrict Processing
- Account “freezing” capability
- Data preservation without use
- Notifications about restriction removal
Right to Data Portability
- Standardized export formats
- APIs for automatic data transfer
- Ensuring integrity during transfer
Breach Notification: Early Warning System
72-Hour Window
Critical to have:
- Automatic incident detection
- Pre-prepared notification templates
- Clear escalation and decision-making procedures
Risk Assessment for Data Subjects
- Automatic incident classification
- Potential damage assessment models
- Criteria for notifying data subjects
International Transfers: Global Sanatoriums
Adequate Jurisdictions
- Countries with European Commission adequacy decisions
- Automatic transfer authorization
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
- Standard contracts for data transfers
- Mandatory risk assessment in destination country
- Additional protection measures when necessary
Binding Corporate Rules (BCR)
- Intra-corporate rules for large sanatorium networks
- Lengthy approval process
- Maximum flexibility after approval
Specifics of Medical Data in Sanatoriums
Additional Guarantees
- Professional medical confidentiality
- Special consent requirements
- Restrictions on automated processing
Research Purposes
- Anonymization or pseudonymization
- Special research participation consents
- Ethics committees and their role
Practical Implementation Recommendations
Implementation Stages:
-
Audit of existing data processing processes
-
Creation of processing registry -
Development of policies and procedures
-
Technical implementation of protection measures 
Staff training-
Continuous monitoring and improvement
Critical Control Points:
- Integrations with external systems
- Backup procedures
- Mobile applications and their security
- Video surveillance systems and their database integration
Conclusion of Part One
GDPR in the context of sanatorium business requires a comprehensive approach where legal requirements are transformed into technical solutions.
The particular complexity lies in processing medical data and the need to balance privacy requirements with the quality of medical services.
Next Steps
- Implementation of technical safeguards
- Staff training programs
- Ongoing compliance monitoring
- Regular privacy impact assessments
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Igor Nosatov