The Trump administration has taken an initiative for millions of Americans to launch private health tracking, urging them to upload personal health data and medical records on the apps run by private tech companies.
According to the administration, the launching will promise easier access to health records and wellness monitoring.
More than 60 companies, including the tech giants such as Google, Apple, and Amazon and the reputable hospitals like Cleveland clinic, UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health have entered into collaboration, aiming to share patient data in the system.
The key areas of the initiative involve diabetes, weight management, and conversational AI, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps meant for registering the patient for check-ins.
President Donald Trump said during an event with company CEOs at the White House: “ For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade. The existing systems are often slow, costly, and incompatible with one another, but with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring healthcare into the digital age.”
The initiative spearheaded by the Trump administration is not bereft of certain concerns. The unrestricted sharing of personal data has tested legal bounds and it could violate the privacy of their medical issues.
According to Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health, “There are enormous ethical and legal concerns. Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families.”
The officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) who will supervise the system have affirmed the secrecy of the patients’ medical records. The patients can easily obtain their records without difficulties.
“We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience,” Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement.
Moreover, Noom, the weight loss and fitness subscription service provider, has signed on to the initiative and it will be able to pull medical records after the system’s expected launch in 2026.
The popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed on to the initiative, will be able to pull medical records after the system’s expected launch early next year.