Personal Health Data

In an age where data breaches are increasingly common, the security of medical data has become a paramount concern. A recent article on Wired, titled "Your Medical Data Is Code Blue," delves into the alarming frequency of medical data breaches and the profound implications they have for individuals. This situation underscores the vital importance of individuals owning and controlling their health information to dictate legitimate use and safeguard their privacy.

From the WSJ Article: "It’s your health. So it’s time you took control of all the information about it.

That’s the message that a growing number of patient advocates are trying to spread to American health-care consumers.

For most people, of course, it’s all too easy to simply leave their health records in the hands of doctors and hospitals. But that’s a big mistake, the advocates argue. First, it gives doctors too much power over information that is vital to patients, and it creates opportunities for errors. Perhaps more important, it keeps patients from using the information themselves for their own benefit."

From the ZocDoc website: "ZocDoc is the beginning of a better healthcare experience for millions of patients every month. Since 2007, we’ve worked to fix broken systems that get in the way of good care by uniting modern patients and doctors.

It began with some bad news we’ve all heard before. After ZocDoc’s founder suffered a burst eardrum, the doctor couldn’t see him for four painful days. He was left wondering: If we could buy everything from hand soap to airfare with a swipe of the phone, why was healthcare so different? And why had we come to accept our powerlessness as patients? The idea for ZocDoc was born then, and we haven’t stopped building since."

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation article: "TextSecure is a messaging app that allows users to send confidential messages with their mobile phone using end-to-end encryption. The app works over a Wi-Fi or data connection, but can also be used to send SMS if such a connection is unavailable."

From the Guroo website: "Guroo puts actual cost information in consumers' hands - your hands. This is just the start. Coming soon are quality metrics, an expanded list of A to Z care services and more! We'll keep getting better, so you keep feeling more confident and get the most out of your health care dollars."