Medical Privacy
Articles tagged with Medical Privacy
How Big Tech’s new health AI assistants are redefining care
The rise of consumer-facing health AI assistants is transforming healthcare access, offering users personalized medical workspaces and real-time lab result interpretation. However, concerns around data privacy and the risk of misdiagnosis highlight the need for caution in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Young English speakers are most comfortable with digital health
A study by UCSF researchers found that language, education, and age affect someone's ability to engage with digital health tools. Young English speakers are most comfortable using digital health tools, but others face barriers due to limited education or language proficiency.
From compliance to conversation: New guidelines push for ethical reflection in research reporting
A new study calls for the adoption of new research ethics policies to foster learning and discussion of ethical issues. The guidelines aim to shift from compliance-based ethics to promoting ethical norms and practices.
State policies regulating law enforcement access to prescription drug monitoring program testosterone prescription data
State policies allow law enforcement unfettered access to sensitive medical information without warrants or subpoenas in over half the country, sparking concerns about patient privacy and civil liberties. The lack of regulation puts gender-affirming care patients at risk, amid growing bans on such treatments.
A review on mobile sensing in the COVID-19 era
Researchers reviewed mobile sensing designs, outcomes, and limitations to better understand its capacity for remote detection, longitudinal tracking, and exposure tracing. Despite technical and societal challenges, advances in data analytics and machine learning may improve data quality and scalability.
‘Digital mask’ could protect patients’ privacy in medical records
A team of scientists created a digital mask that can erase identifiable features from facial images while retaining disease-relevant information, allowing for precise diagnosis and reducing the risk of data breaches. The study found that patients are more willing to share their medical data if such a measure is implemented.
Research reveals how common online health marketing practices may violate patient privacy
A study published in Patterns shows that five digital medicine companies share browsing data related to health topics with Facebook for lead generation and advertising purposes. The researchers found that two companies targeted ads consistent with their own privacy policies, while the other three did not comply with their policies.
Whether it’s medical records, blood or tissue, patients want to know if researchers may use something from them
A new study suggests that members of the public want to know if their health information or samples from their bodies will be used in research or to help develop new biomedical products. The study found that patients are more likely to want notification about research use of their health information than biospecimens.
Study finds "serious problems with privacy" in mobile health apps
The study found that 88% of mobile health apps can access and potentially share personal data, including advert identifiers, email addresses, and geolocation information. Clinicians are advised to inform patients about potential privacy risks before installing and using these apps.
National effort urged to overhaul 'broken' health data system
Experts call for a national effort to rethink how health data is protected in the US, citing inadequate data privacy laws. A process similar to the Belmont Report could provide a blueprint for amendments to the law, with established data ethics review boards serving as safeguards.
Artificial intelligence advances threaten privacy of health data
A recent study by UC Berkeley reveals that current AI-powered tracking methods can identify individuals using their daily step data, posing significant threats to health data privacy. The research suggests that existing laws and regulations, such as HIPAA, are inadequate to protect individuals' confidential health information.
Your privacy online: Health information at serious risk of abuse
An analysis of 80,000 health web pages reveals that nine out of ten visits result in personal health information being leaked to third parties. This can lead to identity theft and discrimination due to predictive algorithms grouping individuals into categories.
Privacy safeguards in Canadian military insufficient: Updated rules needed
The Canadian medical journal criticizes Canada's military for insufficient privacy safeguards, citing recent breaches and the need for clearer rules. The authors urge General Walter Natynczyk to develop recommendations for improving military privacy protocols.
Vanderbilt researchers play major role in new center on electronic health information privacy
The center aims to address security and privacy concerns in the US healthcare community, which is shifting from paper to digital medical records. Researchers from Vanderbilt University will focus on developing solutions for meaningful use of health IT and addressing barriers to adoption.
Study: National medical privacy law makes health research harder, more expensive
A recent study found that HIPAA compliance severely affected patient participation in long-term outcome studies, with a significant drop from 96.1% to 38.5%. This reduction resulted in a less representative sample of patients, which could bias study results.