Standard

IEC 82304-1:2016

Edition 1.0 (2016) · Final / published
International · Health software

Manufacturers of health software placed on the market without dedicated hardware, for general computing platforms.

Publisher metadata and public scope were checked. The full licensed standard was not reviewed; retained clause explanations are practitioner material and require confirmation against an authorized copy and applicable adoption.

Open official source

Does this apply to my work?

The health-software scope is not identical to every jurisdiction’s medical-device definition.

Assess applicable adoption and product context.

What does it address?

Health-software product safety across its lifecycle.

What does this mean in practice?

The controls and evidence below are practitioner examples. They are not mandatory document names or a complete list of obligations.

Practical interpretation of IEC 82304-1:2016
Source provisionRequirement or recommendationPractical control or activityExample evidenceApplicability note
Health-software product scopeStandard requirements depend on applicable adoptionDefine the supported computing environment and intended product use.Product scope and evidence for the supported environment.Confirm detailed requirements in the licensed standard.

Illustrative example

A decision in practice

Intended use
A manufacturer markets health software for general computing platforms.
Risk
An unsupported platform might affect a safety-relevant function.
Control
Define and communicate supported configurations.
Testing
Evaluate the relevant functions on supported environments.
Evidence
Configuration boundaries and product verification observations.
Conclusion
Product evidence must address the actual intended use and platform limitations.
More practitioner context

Practical impact

Health-software product safety across its lifecycle.

Actions to consider

Confirm product scope and consult an authorized copy.

Practitioner interpretation

The health-software scope is not identical to every jurisdiction’s medical-device definition.

Continuing context

The health-software scope is not identical to every jurisdiction’s medical-device definition.

Source and review information

Source check: 21 September 2026. Publisher metadata and public scope were checked. The full licensed standard was not reviewed; retained clause explanations are practitioner material and require confirmation against an authorized copy and applicable adoption.

Citation, dates and editorial history
Stable source ID
iec-82304-1-health-software
Official citation
IEC 82304-1:2016 — Health software — Part 1: General requirements for product safety
Issuing organization
International Electrotechnical Commission
Edition
Edition 1.0 (2016)
Publication
27 October 2016
Application / transition
Assess applicable adoption and product context.
Publication status
Final / published
Verification
Verified — public source metadata and scope
Editorial update
21 September 2026 · Version 2.0
Source owner
CSVtoCSA editorial
Review needed
Full-text / applicability review as described above
Independent review
No independent regulatory review is claimed.

21 September 2026: Source metadata checked, scope clarified, practical mapping and illustrative example added, and layout reorganized. Existing detailed guide content and its dated history are retained below its disclosure. This is an editorial update, not a regulatory amendment.

Questions and corrections

Contributor opinions are moderated and remain distinct from the source and site explanation. Comments do not update source metadata.

Suggest a source correction

Sent privately to the editorial moderation queue. Your account email and correction are not published as a comment. Do not include confidential or personal information.

Source: iec-82304-1-health-software

Loading sign-in status…

Correction details
Ask a question or share a professional example

Practitioner discussion

Questions and discussion

Have a question or a different experience? Add it below.

Loading contributions…

Your contribution

Please do not include confidential company, product, patient, or personal information.

Reviewed before publication. Contribution rules · Privacy