Doctors
Applies to: Germany
Encrypted file transfer for medical practices
Findings, images and reports for patients or for bodies outside the telematics infrastructure: sent encrypted, no account needed for the recipient, with proof of when they were downloaded.
- Developed & operated in Germany
- End-to-end encrypted
- Contractual confidentiality (§ 203 StGB)
- Signed proofs of delivery
What your professional rules require and how TEPHIA SECURE meets them
| Requirement | How it is met |
|---|---|
| § 9 MBO-Ä, § 203 StGB Medical confidentiality regarding everything entrusted to you or that has become known to you as a doctor. The professional code of your regional medical association (Landesärztekammer) is authoritative. | Your core duty. The other rows show what TEPHIA SECURE contributes. |
| § 203 Abs. 4 Satz 2 Nr. 1 StGB Anyone who engages service providers must ensure that they are bound to secrecy. | The obligation under § 203 Abs. 4 StGB The duty of confidentiality and the notice of criminal liability are set out in clause 5a of the data processing agreement. |
| § 10 Abs. 5 MBO-Ä, Art. 9 DSGVO Electronic records require special safeguards against alteration, destruction and unlawful use. Health data is specially protected. | Protection against access and alteration Encrypted in the browser; the server holds no key. Every download is recorded in a chain that makes later changes visible. |
How your proofs are secured
| In every planSignature with our certificate | Add-on · coming soonQualified electronic seal | |
|---|---|---|
| Any change to the PDF invalidates the signature | included | included |
| Timestamp from an independent authority | included | included |
| Hash chain with daily chain seal | included | included |
| Checksum (SHA-256) of every file, confirmed by the recipient | included | included |
| Verifiable online, without an account | included | included |
| Display in Adobe Reader | “Validity unknown”1 | Valid |
| Legal presumption of authenticity (Art. 35(2) eIDAS) | not included | included |
| Useful for | Your records, clients | Courts, authorities, the other party |
1 Not an error: our certificate is not on the EU trust list that Reader recognises. You can check integrity online or using the certificate fingerprint.
- Signature: any change is detected
- Timestamp from an independent authority
- Hash chain with daily chain seal
- Checksum of every file, confirmed by the recipient
- Verifiable online, without an account
- Adobe Reader shows “Valid” instead of “Validity unknown”
- Legal presumption of authenticity (Art. 35(2) eIDAS)
- Useful for courts, authorities, the other party
What else TEPHIA SECURE offers
No replacement for KIM
KIM is intended for exchange within the telematics infrastructure, such as the eArztbrief (electronic doctor’s letter). TEPHIA covers everything outside it.
Frequently asked questions
What does the professional code require for electronic data?
§ 10 Abs. 5 MBO-Ä requires special safeguards for electronic records against alteration, destruction and unlawful use. Here, files are encrypted in the browser, the server holds no key, and every download is recorded in a chain that makes later changes visible. The professional code of your regional medical association (Landesärztekammer) is authoritative; its numbering may differ.
Do I have to bind the service provider to secrecy?
Yes. Under § 203 Abs. 4 Satz 2 Nr. 1 StGB, anyone who has not bound a contributing service provider to secrecy commits a criminal offence. The duty of secrecy and the notice of criminal liability are set out in clause 5a of the data processing agreement.
Does the provider see patient data?
Not the contents: they are encrypted in the browser, and the server holds no key. What is readable is the information the proof of delivery needs: file names, sizes, times, IP addresses and, if the service sends the link, the recipient’s address. A file name can itself be a secret.
There is no certification of services like this by a professional body, and carefully selecting a service provider remains your responsibility under your professional rules.
The information on the legal position on this page is general information, without any warranty as to completeness or currency, and does not constitute legal advice. Only our contracts are binding.