• Blog
  • Services
    • PHIshMD Ongoing Training
    • HIPAA Compliance
    • Discover Vulnerabilities to Patient PHI
  • Store
    • HIPAA Secure Now Service Store
  • Contact Us
    • Sales Inquiry
    • Customer Support
  • Resources
    • Free Healthcare Security Check Up Quiz
    • HIPAA Compliance Requirements | A Guide
    • Webinars & Downloadable Content
    • Use our free Breach Cost Calculator
    • HIPAA Secured Seal
    • In-Email Training & Analysis | Catch Phish

Call us at: 877-275-4545

Client or Partner? Login here
HIPAA Secure Now!HIPAA Secure Now!
  • Blog
  • Services
    • PHIshMD Ongoing Training
    • HIPAA Compliance
    • Discover Vulnerabilities to Patient PHI
  • Store
    • HIPAA Secure Now Service Store
  • Contact Us
    • Sales Inquiry
    • Customer Support
  • Resources
    • Free Healthcare Security Check Up Quiz
    • HIPAA Compliance Requirements | A Guide
    • Webinars & Downloadable Content
    • Use our free Breach Cost Calculator
    • HIPAA Secured Seal
    • In-Email Training & Analysis | Catch Phish

Wearable Technology

October 26, 2020 Posted by Art Gross HIPAA No Comments

The saying goes that you’re never fully dressed without a smile, but the reality for many people today is that you’re never fully dressed until you put on your smartwatch.  Or your phone in your pocket.  Or your health and fitness monitor at the gym.  These component pieces are now standard in our attire and the apps that we use are as much as a part of our day as checking email.  Did you get your steps in?  What’s your heart rate right now?  How much did you eat and what was your mental health at certain points throughout the day.

This technology is just one way that we can stay connected with our own health and wellness journey.  But what about the data that is collected from us?  Surely, we know that is being collected and analyzed, and even if it’s not being used at the individual level, it is giving researchers information to generalize with.

To collect and access your own health data doesn’t fall under any HIPAA guidelines.  But when that data is transferred into the hands of your provider (with consent), it becomes something that should adhere to HIPAA guidelines. That is because the organization is now receiving health data from your wearable technology. From a business perspective, the guidelines with which healthcare employees maintain not only cybersecurity policies and procedures, but also adhere to HIPAA laws, must be followed for guarding this data as well.  The data is valuable not only to the device manufacturer but also to a wide range of companies that can use the habits of individuals and as a collective group to create products and policies based on that information.  And it doesn’t stop there. Marketing and advertising dollars are then spent where consumers are leaning. Your heart rate at the gym is stored alongside your credit card that purchased food or beverages that were logged into your fitness app as caloric intake.  These companies may not even be aware of HIPAA compliance, so it is our job as cybersecurity and HIPAA leaders to educate them and make them aware of the value of this data.

We are not implying that using these apps and devices are dangerous, but as both a consumer and healthcare employee, you should be aware of the role that the data collected plays in the big picture.  It might seem like a harmless weight loss app, but the records of how we purchase, play, and exercise is incredibly valuable to the people who are trying to sell it.  It is also valuable to cybercriminals who find a different value in the credentials or identifying information that we input without hesitation.

Individuals must be reminded to guard their information against theft with as much fervor as they guard their smartwatch or other devices.  Both are equally valuable.

 

Tags: HIPAA
No Comments
Share
0

You also might be interested in

Introducing HIPAA Secure Now!

Feb 13, 2011

We are proud to announce the launch of the HIPAA[...]

Huge security breach fines coming in 2011

Feb 21, 2011

According the Health Data Management magazine, The HHS Office for[...]

Using patient record security as a competitive advantage

Using patient record security as a competitive advantage

Mar 7, 2011

The following blog was written a year ago but the[...]

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Recent Posts

  • Data Privacy Week
  • HIPAA: Text Messaging and Chat Services
  • Cybersecurity is Vital for Healthcare Organizations
  • Social Security Scam
  • Healthcare Industry End of Year Checklist

Recent Comments

  • Milan on PHI or PII – What’s the Difference?
  • Automatic Backlinks on Free HIPAA Security Training!
  • Lisa Porter on Free HIPAA Security Training!
  • Roseanne ruiz on Health Apps & HIPAA
  • Roseanne ruiz on PHI or PII – What’s the Difference?

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011

Categories

  • Backup & Disaster Recovery
  • Business Associates
  • Client News
  • Download
  • Healthcare Industry
  • HIPAA
  • HIPAA Audits
  • HIPAA Violations
  • HSN News
  • Legal
  • MACRA
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Press Release
  • Remote Workforce
  • Risk Assessment
  • Scams
  • Security
  • Security Reminders
  • Security Training
  • Telehealth
  • Uncategorized
  • Webinar
  • Website

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Contact Us

  • HIPAA Secure Now
  • 55 Madison Ave, Suite 400 Morristown, NJ 07960
  • (877) 275 - 4545
  • info@hipaasecurenow.com

Find us on Social Media

Recent Posts

  • Data Privacy Week January 24, 2023
  • HIPAA: Text Messaging and Chat Services January 17, 2023
  • Cybersecurity is Vital for Healthcare Organizations January 10, 2023
  • Social Security Scam January 3, 2023
  • Healthcare Industry End of Year Checklist December 27, 2022

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • Hidden

© 2023 · HIPAA Secure Now!

Prev Next