Microsoft Fabric Blog presents a thorough overview of using Purview DLP policies to safeguard healthcare data, outlining compliance strategies and actionable steps for security administrators.

Enabling Healthcare Compliance with Microsoft Purview DLP Policies in Fabric

Healthcare organizations face strict legal and ethical obligations for data protection, especially with sensitive patient information. As cloud-native analytics platforms like Microsoft Fabric are adopted, new risks emerge around the exposure and management of Protected Health Information (PHI). This article describes how Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies support compliance and security in such environments.

Challenges in Healthcare Compliance

Healthcare providers must meet regulatory frameworks, notably HIPAA, requiring:

  • Data discovery and protection of PHI
  • Monitoring of data access and sharing
  • Prevention of unauthorized disclosure
  • Incident reporting and auditability

Traditional security measures often prove inadequate for dynamic, collaborative platforms like Microsoft Fabric. Purview DLP policies address these gaps with specialized features.

How Purview DLP Supports Healthcare Data Security

1. Automated Discovery and Classification Microsoft Purview automatically scans data assets for regulated information types (e.g., patient IDs, diagnoses, insurance data) across Fabric, OneLake, and Power BI, easing identification of PHI throughout data pipelines and clinical models.

2. Real-Time Guidance for Users DLP policies provide immediate feedback (policy tips) when users attempt actions that could risk PHI (such as sharing datasets or external report distribution). This context-driven guidance fosters a privacy-first culture and user education directly within workflows.

3. Audit Trails and Incident Reporting Detailed logging and audit capabilities enable organizations to track who accesses PHI, document actions taken, and respond rapidly to incidents—crucial for HIPAA audit controls.

Compliance Benefits

With Purview DLP integrated into Fabric, organizations can:

  • Reduce risk of HIPAA violations and costly breaches
  • Demonstrate accountability and control to regulators
  • Facilitate secure collaboration for improved clinical outcomes

Best Practices for Healthcare Compliance

  1. Customize DLP policies to the organization’s PHI requirements and jurisdiction
  2. Regularly review and adjust policies as data flows and regulations evolve
  3. Educate staff using policy tips and relevant scenarios

Conclusion

Regulatory compliance in healthcare is foundational to trust, safety, and reputation. Microsoft Purview DLP for Fabric provides powerful tools for proactive data protection, regulatory alignment, and fostering privacy by design. Security administrators can get started with Purview DLP for Fabric and reference current Purview billing models. For further feedback or suggestions, users are encouraged to fill out this form.

Authored by Microsoft Fabric Blog

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