Patient Data and Privacy

From Digital Culture & Society

[edit] Context:

The use of digital platforms has been revolutionary for user health and data. Back then, healthcare industries only used physical paper and print to store records of patients. However, a growing population and the demand for equal treatment required the healthcare industry to evolve. With the emergence of digital systems, records can be easily acquired, stored, and managed. It saves time and resources while being more effective than manual sorting. These digital platforms tailored to healthcare services can come in many forms. For example, hospitals usually have a secured digital database to keep medical records. However, platforms more accessible to the public have been made. Mobile health platforms allow citizens to transfer and notify health-related information with a phone click. Cloud services act as extra storage for people to place their medical information. However, digital platforms still raise concerns about security and privacy. People could be hesitant to place their information in the hands of another party. Medical information is valuable because it involves private data. Nefarious individuals can exploit that data for their gain. Medical platform breaches are especially brutal since hackers can obtain several hundred to thousands of private data. In addition, it could negatively affect the outlook of health organizations themselves. The trust between patients and the digital platforms in safeguarding their data would break. It is important to be aware of these issues and the possible precautions to take when using these systems.

[edit] Articles:

1. Privacy and security issues for mobile health platforms
2. Analysis of the Security and Privacy Requirements of CloudBased Electronic Health Records Systems
3. Digital Health Data: A Comprehensive Review of Privacy and Security Risks and Some Recommendations

cs20tj 16:05, 08 December 2023 (EDT)