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Earlier this month, the UK Department of Health and Social Care published an initial Code of Conduct for data-driven health and care technology. The code builds on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s Data Ethics Framework.

The code encourages the United Kingdom’s health and care system to form partnerships with suppliers of data-driven technologies, in order to deliver improved health care and position the United Kingdom as a “great place to do business on technology”.

Four key group stakeholders are identified by the code: patients and citizens, health and care professionals, commissioners, and innovators. The code aims to meet the “most important need” for each of these groups, which consist of those experiencing improved care, those delivering better care, those providing services that better meet users’ needs, and those working to make the United Kingdom become a centre for innovation.Continue Reading UK Code of Conduct for data-driven health and care technology

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Piraeus, published in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Access journal (29 January 2018), has indicated that many popular health apps have significant privacy and cybersecurity failings; many of them do not follow standard practices nor will they comply with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that a large number of mobile health apps are jeopardizing the privacy of millions of users.

Mobile health apps

In the last few years there has been a substantial growth in mobile health apps and the ‘connected health’ model, which aims to achieve flexible, effective and affordable healthcare services by using connected technology that offers better records management, information access and increased diagnostic capabilities. This is also known as ‘smart health’. Many healthcare professionals are shifting to mobile apps for easier communication with their patients, increased productivity and improved health management capabilities.Continue Reading Study identifies cybersecurity and privacy shortcomings in health apps