Sharing Medical Records: Benefits, Criticisms & the Future of Digital Health Care by 30Seconds Mom

The Trump administration has revealed a new policy regarding medical records and digital sharing that may affect your health care. This issue has hit the news recently, with much commentary on the new health-care policy. 

You might be wondering what this policy is about, the potential benefits, any criticisms and the future of digital health care in the U.S. Here, we’ll give an overview of the policy, share some criticisms and concerns, and discuss the broader implications for health care.

The New Policy

President Donald Trump has recently announced a plan for a new private health tracking system that may make it easier for patients to access their digital health records and monitor their well-being across various health-care systems and new technologies. The proposed system, however, is raising privacy questions and concerns.

The Trump administration and participating companies say the collaboration between the federal government and Big Tech companies would allow patients to easily track and share their medical records or data among doctors, hospital systems, health-care providers that include staff who have completed fnp programs and a variety of health apps.

Details and information about the system were announced recently during a White House event called Making Health Technology Great Again. The Administration says its efforts will focus on creating a framework to "seamlessly share information between patients and providers, and increasing the availability of personalized tools so that patients have the information and resources they need to make better health decisions."

The new system would be maintained by the federal government through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, pulling health data for patients kept by Big Tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple, and health-care companies like the hospital system Cleveland Clinic and private insurer UnitedHealth Group. Patients would be required to opt in to the system so they could have their medical records and data shared, which the administration says will be kept secure.

Once a patient is set up in the system, their information would be shared across apps or health systems that are part of the new program. As an example, the Apple Health app on your iPhone that tracks your daily step count or your sleep patterns could access certain lab results from a medical provider. The Trump administration says combining this type of information from these types of sources would offer a fuller picture of your health and lead to increased well-being.

According to an article on PBS.org, apps and AI tech may also help people make better, more informed choices at the grocery store or even identify patterns in their daily life that could be affecting their health, said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the recent White House event.

Criticisms and Concerns About the New Policy

According to the same PBS article, some experts are concerned that this information could be used in unexpected or harmful ways. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health, was quoted in the article saying, “There are enormous ethical and legal concerns ... Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families."

Advocates for digital privacy note in the article that it's doubtful patients would be able to count on their data being secure. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Jeffrey Chester, of the Center for Digital Democracy, was quoted by PBS News as saying.

In an article on Time.com, other experts weighed in as well. Andrew Crawford, a senior policy counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, was quoted in the article saying he's concerned about how data will be collected and used by companies involved in the new endeavor. He also noted potential issues that consumers may run into concerning the privacy of their data, the limits on how the data can be used and shared. For example, he noted that if a company shared a patient’s information beyond the requested service, such as with advertisers that could then potentially target the patient with ads based on their health data, that could create issues. 

Implications for the Health-care Sector

Proponents for the initiative say it could empower patients with real-time control of their medical data, foster personalized care from providers, reduce administrative burdens and potentially drive a surge in digital health adoption by as high as 15 to 20 percent in the next few years. 

But underlying the optimism are serious concerns, as discussed above. Digital privacy experts caution that opening up sensitive health information to private‑sector systems may leave patients vulnerable to tech company misuse, insecure storage of data and even monetization of their data, despite the fact that the system is nominally opt‑in. These risks are amplified when you consider that many of the apps and platforms involved are not covered by federal protections like HIPAA.

The new data-sharing initiative coincides with other concerns about how health-related data is treated under the current Trump administration. The pause and removal of thousands of government web pages and datasets from agencies like the CDC and HHS, especially ones related to public health research, gender identity, racial equity and infectious disease monitoring, has restricted access to crucial health data for researchers, clinicians and policymakers. If these trends continue, there could be major implications for the health-care sector in America.

This informative article has covered all about the sharing of medical records as outlined in the Trump administration’s new health-care policy, including the benefits, some criticisms from experts in the sector, as well as the implications for health care in the U.S. But it will be important to keep monitoring the situation as it continues to evolve.  

Note: The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.

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