Consumers were already afraid that their providers might not be able to protect the privacy of their health data. Given the daily news coverage of large data breaches and since the Facebook data scandal blew up, consumers may be even less likely try out new digital health approaches.
For example, a new study by innovation consultancy Enspektos has concluded that patients may be afraid to adopt digital therapeutics options. Many fear that the data might be compromised or the technology may subject them to unwanted personal surveillance.
Without a doubt, digital therapeutics could have a great future. Possibilities include technologies such as prescription drugs with embedded sensors tracking medication compliance, as well as mobile apps that could potentially replace drugs. However, consumers’ appetite for such innovations may be diminishing as consumer fears over data privacy grow.
The research, which was done in collaboration with Savvy Cooperative, found that one-third of respondents fear that such devices will be used to track their behavior in invasive ways or that the data might be sold to a third party without the permission. As the research authors note, it’s hard to argue that the Facebook affair has ratcheted up these concerns.
Other research by Enspektos includes some related points:
- Machine-aided diagnosis is growing as AI, wearables and data analytics are combined to predict and treat diseases
- The deployment of end-to-end digital services is increasing as healthcare organizations work to create comprehensive platforms that embrace a wide range of conditions
It’s worth noting that It’s not just consumers who are worried about new forms of hacker intrusions. Industry CIOs have been fretting as it’s become more common for cybercriminals to attack healthcare organizations specifically. In fact, just last month Symantec identified a group known as Orangeworm that is breaking into x-ray, MRI and other medical equipment.
If groups like Orangeworm have begun to attack medical devices — something cybersecurity experts have predicted for years — we’re looking at a new phase in the battle to protect hospital devices and data. If one cybercriminal decides to focus on healthcare specifically, it’s likely that others will as well.
It’s bad enough that people are worried about the downsides of digital therapeutics. If they really knew how insecure their overall medical data could be going forward, they might be afraid to even sign in to their portal again.
