REMEDIUMREMEDIUM1561-59362658-3534Joint-Stock Company Chicot191810.32687/1561-5936-2026-30-2-150-155Original ArticleProtection of personal data of foreign patientsPlatonovIgor N.platonov.igor@mail.ruShunaevAlexey M.shunaev-alexis@ya.ruOvsyannikovRoman Yu.r.ovsyannikov@academprofi.ruDobretsovaElena A.eldobretsova@gmail.comFirst Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after Academician I. P. Pavlov, Saint Petersburg, RussiaSaint Petersburg State University of Economics, Saint Petersburg, RussiaSaint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia04072026215015507072026Copyright © 2026,2026This article examines the protection of foreign patients personal data amid the rapidly expanding export of medical services in the Russian Federation. Using St. Petersburg as an example, a retrospective analysis of the dynamics of foreign citizens requests for medical care from 2018 to 2024 was conducted, revealing a nearly threefold increase in their number. The country breakdown of patients was examined, revealing a predominance of citizens from the CIS and neighboring countries. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of Russian national legislation and international legal frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, and PIPL) governing the processing and cross-border transfer of medical personal data. Key issues related to information security in medicine are identified, including the risks of leaks and the need to harmonize Russian and international regulations. Therefore, the need for a comprehensive approach combining improved legal frameworks for data protection with the development of organizational security mechanisms is substantiated, a key condition for the sustainable development of medical tourism.export of medical servicesmedical tourismforeign patientspersonal data protectioninformation securityэкспорт медицинских услугмедицинский туризминостранные пациентызащита персональных данныхинформационная безопасность[Kobyakova O. S., Starodubov V. I., Kadyrov F. N. et al. Telemedicine technologies: prospects and limitations. Doctor and Information Technologies. 2020;(S5):76—85. doi: 10.37690/1811-0193-2020-5-76-85 (In Russ.)][Compagnucci M. C., Fenwick M. International transfers of health data. In: Perspectives in Law, Business and Innovation. Singapore; 2024. p. 274. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-9983-1_10][Xia L., Cao Z., Zhao Y. Paradigm transformation of global health data regulation: challenges in governance and human rights protection of cross-border data flows. Risk Manag. Healthc. Policy. 2024;17:3291—3304. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S450082][Ananchenkova P. I. Development of medical tourism in the context of healthcare globalization. Problems of Social Hygiene, Public Health and History of Medicine. 2023;31(4):555—561. doi: 10.32687/0869-866X-2023-31-4-555-561 (In Russ.)][Amlaev K. R. Medical tourism: what worries a potential patient (review of foreign publications). Remedium. 2024;28(2):130—133. doi: 10.32687/1561-5936-2024-28-2-130-133 (In Russ.)][Moreeva E. V., Ananchenkova P. I., Dianina E. V. Marketing aspects of medical tourism development. Remedium. 2022;26(2):172—176. doi: 10.32687/1561-5936-2022-26-2-172-176 (In Russ.)][Aksenova E. I., Petrova G. D., Yudina N. N., Chernyshev E. V. Methodological Guide for Healthcare Organizations on Working with Foreign Patients. Moscow; 2020. (In Russ.)][Zolotukhina V. G., Rassolova A. A. Key aspects of telemedicine application in the healthcare system of the Russian Federation. Scientific Notes of Young Researchers. 2022;10(3):59—77. (In Russ.)][Mikheev A. E. Opportunities, problems and prospects of information technologies in the field of clinical safety. Healthcare Manager. 2023;(S):5—20. doi: 10.21045/1811-0185-2023-S-5-20 (In Russ.)][Minssen T., Seitz C., Aboy M., Compagnucci M. C. The EU-US Privacy Shield Regime for Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data under the GDPR. Eur. Pharm. Law Rev. 2020;4(1):34—50. doi: 10.21552/eplr/2020/1/6.][Compagnucci M. C., Aboy M., Minssen T. Cross-border transfers of personal data after Schrems II: supplementary measures and new standard contractual clauses (SCCs). Nord. J. Eur. Law. 2021;4(2):37—47.][Zhuravlev M. S. Personal data protection in telemedicine. Law. Journal of the Higher School of Economics. 2016;(3):72—84. (In Russ.)][Guitton M. J. Something good out of something bad: eHealth and telemedicine in the post-COVID era. Comput. Hum. Behav. Rep. 2021;10:123—126.][Bradford L., Aboy M., Liddell K. Standard contractual clauses for cross-border transfers of health data after Schrems II. J. Law Biosci. 2021;8(1):lsab007. doi: 10.1093/jlb/lsab007.][Oloni V. Cross-border data flows: oiling the wheel of the African digital economy. 2024:157—176. doi: 10.1515/9783110797909—010.][Atuguba A. R., Boshe P., Dei-Tutu S. A., Hennemann M. African Data Protection Laws: Regulation, Policy, and Practice. Berlin; Boston; 2024. doi: 10.1515/9783110797909]