Processing and protection of personal health data in the scope of private health institutions

Nowadays, personal health data has become the subjekt to different data processing activities such as collecting, storing, sharing performed by many people and organizations through highly advanced information-based systems. One of the important actors involved in these data processig activities is undoubtedly private health institutions. Private health institutions obtain, store a great number and variety of personal health data and transfer these data to a large number of individuals and institutions, particularly the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Institution. Considering the increasing share of information-based systems in the process of carrying out these activities in conjunction with the developing technology and the sensitive nature of personal health data compared to other personal data, it is highly important to determine under what conditions private health institutions can process personal health data and which legal remedies data subject may apply for if processing of personal health data is unlawful. Therefore, this study will examine the processing and protection of personal health data within the framework of private health institutions