HDS-certified hosting: what it means for practitioners
Understanding France’s HDS health data hosting certification helps practitioners choose digital tools and protect patient confidentiality.
Countries covered : France
Behind the three letters HDS lies a central requirement when handling health data in digital form. Understanding HDS-certified hosting helps you choose tools with confidence and protect your patients.
This page explains the concept; for practical implementation within a digital patient record, see the dedicated page.
What is HDS?
HDS stands for Hébergeur de Données de Santé, or health data hosting provider. It is a French certification that sets the framework for the secure and confidential storage of personal health data. It guarantees that a hosting provider meets demanding standards for protection, availability and traceability.
When does HDS-certified hosting apply?
The requirement arises when health data is hosted by a third party (a service provider, an online software provider or a cloud service). That hosting must be covered by HDS certification: a key consideration when choosing report-writing, dictation or patient record software.
What HDS guarantees, and what it does not replace
HDS certification concerns hosting: how data is stored and protected. It does not remove the need to comply with the GDPR, which governs the processing of personal data more broadly (purposes, access and individuals’ rights). The two are complementary: a reliable tool combines HDS-certified hosting with GDPR compliance.
What this means in practice
In practice, HDS gives you a clear criterion for assessing a tool: if your health data is hosted online, is that hosting HDS-certified? Without it, your patients’ confidentiality is not guaranteed to the expected standard. This is a simple question to ask any software provider.
Delta’s choice
Delta hosts your data with HDS certification and complies with the GDPR: your documents and longitudinal patient records remain confidential and belong to you. You benefit from the speed of a modern tool without giving up the protection that health data requires.
In summary
HDS-certified hosting is not a technical detail: it is the baseline guarantee of confidentiality when a third party hosts your health data. Combined with the GDPR, it provides a foundation of trust for a digital clinical tool.
Frequently asked questions
What does HDS mean?
HDS stands for Hébergeur de Données de Santé, or health data hosting provider. It is a certification that sets the framework for the secure and confidential storage of personal health data.
When is HDS-certified hosting mandatory?
When health data is hosted by a third party (a service provider, online software or cloud service), that hosting must be covered by HDS certification.
What is the difference between HDS and the GDPR?
HDS concerns hosting (secure storage); the GDPR governs the processing of personal data more broadly. The two are complementary.
How can I check whether a tool is compliant?
Ask the provider whether health data hosting is HDS-certified and whether the tool complies with the GDPR. These are two simple, decisive questions.
Does Delta use HDS-certified hosting?
Yes: Delta hosts data with HDS certification and complies with the GDPR; your documents and longitudinal patient records remain confidential and belong to you.
A modern tool without compromising confidentiality
Delta hosts your data with HDS certification and complies with the GDPR. Try it free.
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