Garmin Connect is a health and fitness data platform that syncs with Garmin wearables to provide users with insights into activity, sleep, stress, and other biometric metrics.
With Garmin Connect, individuals and organizations can access health and fitness data collected by Garmin devices, while developers can integrate this data into apps and services using Garmin’s APIs and SDKs.
Is Garmin Connect HIPAA compliant? Yes, based on our research, Garmin Connect can be HIPAA compliant.
Yes, Garmin Connect will sign a business associate agreement, which can be reviewed here.
Garmin’s SDK documentation states, “The Standard SDK is HIPAA-compliant, allowing you to aggregate and archive the data in your own systems.”
Their BAA covers:
Garmin's BAA specifically excludes the consumer-facing Garmin Connect platform. Only implementations using the Standard SDK are HIPAA-compliant, while the Companion SDK that integrates with Garmin Connect is not covered under HIPAA protections.
According to the Garmin Health SDKs documentation, "The Standard SDK is HIPAA-compliant, allowing you to aggregate and archive the data in your own systems." However, this same SDK is explicitly listed as "Not Compatible with Garmin Connect" in their comparison table.
This means that healthcare organizations cannot use the standard Garmin Connect consumer application for HIPAA-protected health data. Instead, they must implement a completely separate system using the Standard SDK, which "does not require use of any Garmin servers" and creates "a single-app experience using Garmin devices that does not require use of any Garmin servers."
This is a significant limitation as it prevents healthcare providers from leveraging the existing Garmin Connect ecosystem and requires them to build their own infrastructure for data collection and management.
Garmin Connect may be HIPAA compliant, but only when used through Garmin Health SDKs with a signed BAA. Consumer use of Garmin Connect is not covered under HIPAA.
Learn more: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide
A business associate agreement (BAA) is a legally binding contract establishing a relationship between a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its business associates. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure the proper protection of personal health information (PHI) as required by HIPAA regulations.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information, known as protected health information (PHI).
HIPAA is designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ health information and to ensure that healthcare providers and insurers can securely exchange electronic health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in significant fines and penalties for covered entities.
HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.