US vs European Health Apps: Key Differences

If you're in Europe looking for a health app, you'll notice that many popular options are built by US companies for US users. These apps might work technically, but they come with tradeoffs that matter for European users.

Here's what distinguishes European health apps from US-based alternatives, and why these differences matter.

Data Storage and Privacy

The most significant difference involves where your data lives and what laws protect it.

US-Based Apps

Most US health apps store data on servers in the United States, typically using US cloud providers like Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud.

This means:

• Your health data is subject to US law, including the CLOUD Act which can compel US companies to hand over data to US authorities
• GDPR protections apply to you, but enforcing them against a US company is more difficult
• Your data may travel through or be processed in jurisdictions with weaker privacy protections

Many US apps claim "GDPR compliance," but this often means minimal compliance — having a privacy policy, offering data export, allowing deletion requests. It doesn't mean your data stays in Europe or that you have the same protections as with a European service.

European-Based Apps

Apps built in Europe for Europeans typically:

• Store data in EU data centers (often Germany, which has particularly strong data protection)
• Process data entirely within EU jurisdiction
• Are directly subject to GDPR enforcement by European authorities
• Don't rely on US cloud infrastructure

For sensitive health data, this difference is substantial. You're not just trusting a company's privacy policy — you're trusting a legal framework and enforcement mechanism.

Healthcare System Compatibility

US and European healthcare systems differ fundamentally, and apps designed for one don't always fit the other.

US Healthcare Reality

The US healthcare landscape has a few dominant electronic health record systems (Epic, Cerner). Many US health apps focus on integrating with these systems — connecting to Epic's MyChart, pulling data from major US hospital networks.

These integrations are largely irrelevant in Europe, where different hospitals use different systems and standardized integrations don't exist in the same way.

European Healthcare Reality

European healthcare is fragmented differently. Each country has its own systems and standards. You might have records from hospitals in multiple countries, in multiple languages, using completely different formats.

A health app built for Europe needs to handle this fragmentation — accepting documents from any source, any format, any language — rather than relying on integrations that don't exist.

Language and Localization

US-Based Apps

Many US health apps are English-only or have limited localization. Even when translations exist, they may not handle:

• Medical terminology in European languages
• Documents and lab reports in various languages
• The multilingual reality of European users who may have records in multiple languages

European-Based Apps

Apps built for the European market are more likely to:

• Support multiple European languages natively
• Process documents in various languages
• Understand that users may need to work with records from different countries simultaneously

Units and Reference Ranges

US Standards

US labs commonly use certain units:

• mg/dL for glucose (rather than mmol/L common in Europe)
• ng/mL for vitamin D (rather than nmol/L)

US apps may display values in US units without easy conversion, making comparison with your European lab results confusing.

European Standards

European apps understand that users might receive results in different units depending on the country and lab. Good European apps handle unit conversions and normalize data so you can compare results from different sources.

Regulatory Approach

US Health Apps

The US has relatively light regulation of consumer health apps. The FDA regulates medical devices, but many health tracking apps fall outside device regulation.

This allows for innovation but also means less oversight of accuracy and safety claims.

European Health Apps

Europe is moving toward stricter regulation of health apps, including through the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and emerging AI regulation. Apps that make certain health claims or provide certain functionality may need certification.

This creates a higher bar for compliance but also provides more assurance about app safety and accuracy.

Comparison Table

Aspect	US-Based Apps	European-Based Apps
Data storage	Typically US servers	EU servers (often Germany)
Legal jurisdiction	US law applies	EU/GDPR applies directly
EHR integration	Epic, Cerner connections	Document-based (any source)
Language support	Often English-primary	Multi-language from design
Units	US standards	European standards or flexible
Privacy enforcement	Relies on company policy	GDPR enforcement available

What This Means for European Users

If you're in Europe, consider:

Where will your data actually be stored? Ask specifically about data center locations, not just "GDPR compliance."

Who processes your data? Even if stored in Europe, data might be processed through US services.

Does the app work with European healthcare? Integrations with US hospital systems don't help you.

Are your languages supported? If you have records in multiple European languages, can the app handle them?

What happens to your data under US law? Even if you're in Europe, data on US servers is subject to US legal requests.

The Healthbase Approach

Healthbase is built specifically for the European reality:

EU data storage and processing — All data in Germany, processed entirely within EU jurisdiction

No US cloud dependencies — We don't route your health data through US tech giants

Any document, any language — Vision AI processes documents from any European healthcare system

European-first design — Built for how Europeans actually receive and manage healthcare

For European users, a European health app isn't just about patriotism or preference — it's about practical differences in data protection, healthcare compatibility, and regulatory oversight that directly affect your experience and the safety of your health data.