Health and public servicesData protection
Waiting-room calls: using the surname is still allowed
Bavaria's data protection authority considers addressing patients by surname permissible. A number on the screen is often the better choice all the same.
Since the General Data Protection Regulation took effect, medical practices in Germany have faced the question of whether patients may still be called by name. The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision answers the question briefly in its FAQ. May patients in the practice or on the telephone still be addressed by their surname, or does it have to be anonymised? The answer: yes, the GDPR has changed nothing about this practice, which the authority describes as socially adequate and consistent with fundamental rights.
The answer concerns spoken address. It says nothing about showing the name on a screen. The difference is practical: a name called out fades away. A name on the wall stays until the next call comes and can be read by anyone who enters the room.
For on-screen display there is therefore a good case for a number. It requires no balancing of interests, works in specialities where mere presence reveals something, and is understood equally in several languages. Those who still want to show names can shorten them, limit how long they stay up and let patients choose.
The answer comes from one state authority and refers to medical practices. Those who want certainty should ask the supervisory authority responsible for their own state.
This news item reflects the information given by the authority named and is not legal advice.
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