Once the data leaves the hospitals’ systems it is no longer under the protection of HIPAA. The administration says that the FTC would be in charge of keeping tech companies in check when it comes to scraping up the troves of data, but critics are dubious about the extent to which the agency would be capable of doing that.
Politico: Trump’s Next Health Care Move: Giving Silicon Valley Your Medical Data
The Trump administration’s push to give patients more control over their health records could turn over a massive trove of very personal data to giant tech companies, app designers and data brokers. If proposed policy changes go through, patients would be able to download their health records on to their smartphones and direct it to apps of their choice. But there’s a major privacy pitfall: As soon as those records leave the software system of the doctor or hospital, they are no longer protected by HIPAA, the landmark medical privacy law. (Tahir and Cancryn, 2/19)
In other news from the administration’s health and technology efforts —
The Associated Press: Veterans Group: Pentagon Broke Agreement To Reopen Database
The Pentagon has reneged on its agreement to reopen a vast records database that helps service members who are appealing a less-than-honorable discharge, a veterans group said Tuesday. The National Veterans Legal Services Program said the Defense Department has failed to make public the “vast majority” of decisions made by military review boards over the last several years. (2/18)
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