POPIA Compliance Guide for Healthcare Practices

## Understanding POPIA for Healthcare

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) sets the standard for data protection in South Africa. For healthcare practices, compliance isn't optional - it's essential for protecting patients and your practice.

Key POPIA Requirements

1. Lawful Processing

Patient data can only be processed for legitimate healthcare purposes. Document your reasons for collecting each piece of information.

2. Purpose Limitation

Only collect data you actually need. Don't ask for information "just in case" - each field should have a clear clinical or administrative purpose.

3. Data Subject Rights

Patients have the right to: - Access their records - Correct inaccurate information - Know who has accessed their data - Request deletion (within legal limits)

4. Security Safeguards

Technical and organizational measures must protect patient data: - Encryption at rest and in transit - Access controls and authentication - Audit logging - Staff training

5. Breach Notification

If a data breach occurs, you must: - Notify the Information Regulator - Inform affected patients - Document remediation steps

How NissiHealth Helps

NissiHealth is designed with POPIA compliance built-in:

AES-256 encryption for all patient data
Role-based access controls
Comprehensive audit logs
Data export for patient requests
Consent tracking for processing activities

Action Steps

Audit your current practices - Where is patient data stored?
Document processing activities - Why do you collect each data point?
Implement technical controls - Encryption, access management
Train your staff - Everyone needs to understand POPIA
Prepare for incidents - Have a breach response plan

Resources

[Information Regulator South Africa](https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/)
[HPCSA Guidelines](https://www.hpcsa.co.za/)

Need help with compliance? Contact our team for guidance.