How CRANIUM promotes the privacy community and knowledge sharing within the healthcare sector
We often associate hospitals with white coats, busy corridors and patient rooms, but behind the scenes, there’s another world at play: caring for data. The Data Protection Officer (DPO) plays an essential role here that goes beyond just protecting and securing patient data. It’s a role where collaboration and knowledge sharing are crucial, but where one can feel alone in their responsibilities. That’s where the CRANIUM Knowledge Sharing Platform is trying to bring about change by bringing together DPOs like Denis Roels from AZ Sint-Lucas .
Current CRANIUM CEO Anne Jansen was instrumental in the creation of the platform, which was established in 2019 within White Wire, a well-known name in the healthcare sector. In 2020, White Wire was acquired by CRANIUM, and so was the knowledge sharing platform. The way the platform is being continued demonstrates a deep-rooted dedication to the sector.
The platform facilitates a tight-knit community where privacy professionals within the broader healthcare sector can share their experiences, knowledge and questions. Denis, who has years of experience in the healthcare sector, describes the platform as a reliable place for accessible answers: “The platform is handy because you can quickly get help with your questions from people facing the same kinds of challenges.”
“Stuck on a particular question? It’s nice to be able to brainstorm with fellow DPO. That way, you can gauge whether you’re on the right track or if others might have a fresh perspective on the matter.”
It also provides an environment where ideas and strategies are shared, and where you can form a joint opinion on complex issues. “Stuck on a particular question? It’s nice to be able to brainstorm with fellow DPOs,” says Denis. “That way, you can gauge whether you’re on the right track or if others might have a fresh perspective on the matter.”
Sustainable change is more than just shocking the people.
Creating buy-in for data protection with more than 3,000 employees is no easy feat. Denis acknowledges this: “Early in my career, I often said ‘no’. That’s too easy. The art is in finding that ‘yes’ by engaging in a constructive dialogue with other departments and developers.” The CRANIUM Knowledge Sharing Platform plays an essential role in facilitating such dialogue. Denis continues: “Through the platform, we share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences with the implementation of, for example, new programs,” says Denis. “There was a time when we used ‘shocking’ statements to raise awareness about the potential fines for non-compliance. Shock and it sticks. That worked in the short-term, but for sustainable change, it’s more important to work constructively together and find joint solutions.”
Digital and physical networking.
The community is not limited to online interactions. CRANIUM regularly organises sessions where members can broach their own topics or ideas. “An online community needs active guidance to stay lively,” explains Denis. “The CRANIUM experts are actively involved on the platform, sharing their own knowledge, advice, and templates, and also organising face-to-face events where we can meet each other. That boost adds an extra dimension to the healthcare community,” concludes Denis.
Lisa Botteldoorn, Manager and Principal Privacy Consultant at CRANIUM, agrees: “Whether you’re a consultant or not, we all share the same challenges as privacy professionals. We know very well how valuable a strong network can be within our specialised sector, precisely because it’s so niche. That’s why we attach so much importance to both networking and knowledge sharing. Our annual knowledge-sharing conference for the healthcare sector is a perfect example of how we put these values into practice.”
Stronger Together.
It’s not always easy to be able to respond to all the complexities of data protection from within an organisation. Through the platform, healthcare providers can take a stronger stance together:
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- Members can collectively sign up to reduce the cost of external projects by sharing them.
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- The platform enables members to negotiate with suppliers as a group, giving them more leverage.
Denis illustrates the power of this approach: “The platform allows us to unite and collectively take on the Goliaths among the companies. By sitting down together around the negotiation table, we gather strong arguments that we can use in these discussions with suppliers. That’s where the power of numbers works in our favor.”
About the community
The CRANIUM Knowledge Sharing Platform is an active community of more than 80 privacy professionals in the healthcare sector. It’s a dynamic digital platform that also has considerable offline impact. By sharing knowledge, advice, templates, and the latest news within the sector, the members stay up to date on what’s happening in their field.
