mHealth App-makers Must Develop Privacy, Security Standards

The following is a guest blog post by Jon Michaeli, Executive Vice President of Medisafe

In recent times, consumers have developed a rapidly-growing interest in mobile health apps. In fact, more than half of the 1,600 mobile phone users surveyed recently by a New York University research team had downloaded at least one such app. And signs suggest that user uptake of mHealth apps could grow dramatically over the next few years.

But consumers’ adoption of mobile health apps is being held back by concerns that their health data isn’t safe.  Nearly half of consumers surveyed told Healthline that they’re afraid hackers may try to steal their personal health data from a wearable, and one-quarter of respondents said that they don’t believe app or health tracking data is secure.

We believe that it’s time for mHealth app developers and vendors to take a stand on mobile health data privacy and security. Consumers have the right to exchange private health data securely, and to be sure that data is never stolen or shared with unauthorized parties.

But until we develop industry-wide standards for protecting mobile health data, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to do so. To make that happen, we welcome the creation of a broad industry coalition to create these standards.

Security fears justified

Concerns over the security and privacy of mHealth data are well-founded. Less than one-third of the 600 most commonly-used mHealth apps have privacy policies in place, according to recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Another study, by HIMSS, suggests that health IT leaders are just beginning to scope out their mobile health security strategies.

Worse, some practices engaged in by app developers pose a clear risk to users’ health data. For example, some health apps use a Social Security number as a “secure” user method of validating user identity. Unfortunately, Social Security numbers are often stolen during hacking exploits, and they’re fairly easy to buy online. Thieves have a powerful incentive to steal SSNs, as health data now sells for 10 times the prices of credit card numbers.

Once SSNs are obtained by the wrong party, the results can be catastrophic. If I obtain a user’s SSN and download their claims data, I might find out that they, for example, take meds used to treat psychiatric conditions or HIV. Malicious parties could conceivably use this information to blackmail someone, expose them at work or in the community, outflank them during a divorce or worse. There’s a reason that SSNs sell for 10 times the price of a stolen credit card number on the black market.

Not only that, even among those who post privacy policies, few app developers make it clear how they address privacy issues. Developers often fill their policy write-ups with jargon and deceptive language. And few consumers are informed enough to demand plain, straightforward disclosures in areas that may affect them. For example, they may not be aware that their privacy could be compromised if the app pulls data from outside sources without requiring an additional login and password.

Those opaque privacy policies may also conceal questionable data-sharing practices, such as the sale of personal data. If individually-identifiable data gets shared with the insurance industry, insurers might use this data to reject applications for coverage. Pharmaceutical companies could leverage this data to market meds to such consumers. Employers could even buy such data to screen out sick applicants. The possibilities for harm are great.

Time for mHealth security standards

Fortunately, mHealth vendors that want to boost security and privacy protections don’t have to start from scratch. Practices and standards already in place in healthcare IT departments provide a good foundation for mHealth app developers. Certainly, consumers need to play a role in protecting their own health information, by taking a responsible and smart approach to app use, but we have obligations too.

First, we should assume that any mHealth app must meet HIPAA standards for protecting patient health information (PHI). Requirements include making sure users are who they claim to be (authentication), seeing that PHI isn’t altered prior to reaching its destination, and assuring that data is encrypted at rest, in transit and when stored on independently-managed servers.

Also, if PHI is being exchanged, mHealth developers must be sure that any third-party apps integrated into our health app also meets HIPAA requirements. And we need to verify that compliance. If connected third parties are compromised, the app isn’t secure either.

But above all, our industry needs to establish privacy and security standards that meet the unique needs of mobile health environment, standards which evolve as mHealth changes. I believe it’s high time that the mobile health industry leaders collaborate and create these standards. Otherwise, we may fail in our ethical obligations and do lasting damage to consumer trust. We invite other mHealth app vendors and their partners to join us in collaborating to protect consumers.

Jon Michaeli is Executive Vice President of Medisafe (www.medisafe.com), a cloud-synched platform which helps consumers manage their medications.

   

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