The data protection as a service market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 24.30% between 2021 and 2028. This is according to a survey by Data Bridge Market Research, which also predicts a total of 83.17 billion dollars in up to three years. In parallel with this concern for data protection and privacy, the healthcare sector is also registering significant increases.

In Brazil alone, according to data from ABRAMED, patients used the Unified Health System (SUS) and supplementary healthcare to perform 2.4 billion exams in 2023, an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. And the trend, according to experts, is that the volume will continue to increase as the population gets older.

Given this scenario, the need to process the data of these patients, as well as their exams, is emerging. “Data protection is already an extremely important topic in itself. However, when it comes to health, culturally it is easier for people to realize this and be aware of it. Whether it is regarding medical records or an exam that may contain sensitive information for the patient, it is clear that common sense is loaded with a greater concern for privacy. Therefore, it becomes even more strategic for companies in the sector to prepare and comply with the LGPD, as they may be subject to greater scrutiny, are more in the spotlight of public opinion and even inspections”, says Aline Deparis, CEO of Privacy Tools.

Strengthening data protection governance

With a comprehensive presence in the healthcare sector, the Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (AFIP), for example, performs around 80 million tests per year, with an installed capacity for up to 120 million. The institution performs around 8% of the SUS tests nationwide and 40% of those belonging to the public network in the state of São Paulo, dealing with a massive volume of sensitive data on a daily basis.

Considered the largest clinical analysis laboratory in the SUS outpatient network and with approximately 3,500 employees, AFIP relies on the Privacy Tools tool to comply with the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD). After experimenting with other solutions, the Association found in the company a platform that combines ease of use, efficiency and excellent cost-benefit. Since implementing the Privacy Tools solution, the management of patient requests has undergone a significant transformation.

“Previously, the team faced challenges in monitoring and responding appropriately to requests received by email, dealing with up to 200 daily requests for test collection. This volume overwhelmed the team and made it difficult to control the responses sent,” explains Christian Higuchi, DPO at AFIP.

With the Privacy Tools DSAR (Data Subject Access Request) module, AFIP now has complete control over patient requests, drastically reducing the volume of demands. “In just a few months, the number of daily requests dropped significantly, reaching just 20 requests per month. This reduction was possible thanks to the visibility provided by the tool, allowing for more strategic and effective management of communication with patients,” celebrates Christian.

The Privacy Tools tool also brought significant gains in the management of cookies and privacy policies. Before adopting the solution, AFIP did not have a structured system for managing cookies. Today, with the platform, all policies are centralized and easily updated, ensuring compliance and transparency in data processing.

“The implementation optimized the management of consents and internal processes related to data protection, which is essential for an organization that handles highly sensitive information. Currently, AFIP manages a database with a large volume of patient data, each of which may contain multiple exams, making the security and traceability of information even more critical,” explains the DPO.

With Privacy Tools, AFIP has consolidated more efficient data management, ensuring not only compliance with the LGPD, but also greater security. “The agility of internal processes and the ease of use of the platform allows the Data Protection team to focus on strategies and continuous improvements, instead of wasting time on manual and bureaucratic tasks”, highlights Aline Deparis, CEO of Privacy Tools.

The adoption of the tool reinforces AFIP's commitment to the privacy and security of patient data, promoting a more protected and efficient environment for everyone involved in the healthcare ecosystem.

About Privacy Tools

Privacy Tools is a PrivacyTech, that is, a startup in the field of privacy, accelerated by Obr.global and is one of the pioneers in Brazil in offering solutions for LGPD.

The company aims to transform the way companies protect and manage the privacy of personal data and has 150+ companies such as Rede D'or, Banco RCI, Pague Menos, São João Pharmacies, Bom Jesus Group, University of Fortaleza, Synnex Corporation, among others.

For press vehicles, Privacy Tools solutions help maintain the privacy of those who browse online articles, by managing cookies that are authorized by readers, writing Privacy Policies and mapping the data about users that are collected and used to recognize and minimize the risk of leakage or misuse of information.