WashingtonA new private health tracking system that will facilitate patient access to medical information and wellness monitoring across health care institutions and technologies has been launched by President Donald Trump. However, a number of privacy concerns are being brought up by the system.
According to the administration and participating corporations, the partnership between the federal government and Big Tech would make it easier for patients to track and exchange their medical records or data with doctors, hospital systems, and health applications.
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At a White House event on Wednesday called “Making Health Technology Great Again,” the system’s specifics were revealed.
This is how it would operate.
The federal government would manage the system through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, obtaining health data from large health organizations like insurer UnitedHealth Group and hospital system Cleveland Clinic, as well as BigTech corporations like Amazon, Google, and Apple. Patients must consent to the sharing of their data and medical records, which CMS assures would be kept private.
Information on a patient may be shared throughout apps or health systems that have joined the effort once they are in the system. For instance, your doctor’s office lab results may be accessed by the Apple Health app on your iPhone, which tracks your daily step count or sleep patterns. The Trump administration claims that combining such data will provide a more complete picture of your health.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated at a White House event on Wednesday that apps and AI technology might potentially assist individuals make smarter decisions at the grocery store or spot patterns in their daily lives that could be harming their health.
You can now receive tailored advise provided you have your medical records,” Kennedy stated.
The current state of the system
Medical records and health information are not currently stored in a single database. Patient records are stored, shared, and released differently by each health system. Because it’s a surefire method of exchanging records between businesses and hospitals, fax machines continue to be a major component of many systems. Another safe method of transmitting data that conforms with federal privacy regulations is faxing.
Additionally, some health networks have their own websites, apps, or electronic systems that let patients share information with other physicians or search for their medical records online.
Next year, the program might begin.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 60 businesses have committed to using the system and will provide results to the American public by the first quarter of 2026.
However, a similar suggestion was made by the Trump administration in 2018 but was never completely implemented.
One of the main concerns is patient privacy.
Many people may be concerned that their health information, which Americans have long protected, may be used in ways they don’t want or expect, according to patient activists and ethicists.
According to public health expert and Georgetown University law professor Lawrence Gostin, there are serious moral and legal issues. Americans should be extremely concerned about the potential misuse of their medical records to damage themselves and their loved ones.
Advocates for digital privacy also express skepticism about patients’ ability to rely on the safe storage of their data.
According to Jeffrey Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy, this plan provides a free pass for the continued use and commercialization of private and sensitive health data.
