The data: Consumers are hesitant to share their medical data with technology companies inside and outside healthcare, according to Rock Health’s 2022 Digital Health Consumer Adoption Survey of 8,000+ US adults.
Digging into the data: We summarized the key data points on who patients do and don’t trust with their health data.
Yes, but: Consumers may not trust tech players with their data, but they’re using tech companies' tools and services for health-related purposes.
Why the disconnect? Patients are using digital health tools—including ones from Big Tech—that require inputting data to track weight loss, mood, blood pressure, medication intake, and more. But at the same time, they say they don’t want to share health data with these companies.
We think that's because tech companies’ data security mishaps have been in the spotlight. So, when asked if they’re willing to share sensitive health data with a tech entity, consumers’ natural reaction is to express distrust.
But patients who are already using health-tracking apps and wearables are split on being concerned about the security of their data, per Morning Consult’s January 2023 National Tracking Poll.
Digital health players aren’t out of the woods, though. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently delivered a warning shot to industry players when it charged GoodRx with violating the Health Breach Notification Rule. The FTC claims GoodRx broke its promise that it wouldn’t share personal health data with advertisers or other third parties. Some digital health apps could be next to face the music.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Digital Health Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the healthcare industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.