Why you should care about Data Sovereignty, Data Security and Digital Trust

While Health apps aim to improve access to real-time monitoring and healthcare resources, they present potential data privacy problems due to the sensitive nature of the information they can access and the inadequate enforcement of data privacy standards. An in-depth analysis of more than 20,000 health-related mobile applications by Macquarie University in Australia found “serious problems with privacy and inconsistent privacy practices” (Tangari et al., 2021). Eighty-eight percent of mHealth apps could access and potentially share personal data. Twenty-eight percent of apps did not offer any privacy policy text, and at least 25% of user data transmissions violated what was stated in the privacy policies.

It comes as no surprise that the number of individuals affected by cybersecurity attacks in healthcare tripled from 14 million in 2018 to 45 million in 2021 (Landi, 2022). This leaves patients wondering whether or not their personal information is safe.

Privacy is a right

In a recent study conducted by the American Medical Association earlier this year on 1,000 patients across the United States, more than 9 out of 10 (92%) patients reported that they believe data privacy is a right. Patients want accountability, transparency and control over how their data is used. Ninety-four percent of patients responded that companies should be held legally accountable for the use of their health data. In addition, 93% of respondents want health application developers to be transparent about how their products use and share personal health data. Almost 80% of patients want the ability to “opt-out” of health data sharing and over 75% want to receive requests before a company uses their health data for a new purpose.

To achieve data sovereignty, data security and digital trust, we need to thoroughly understand the digital environment and embrace better technology. Cybersecurity plays a key role in ensuring that digital trust is created.

At Jonda Health we use end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge encryption and HIPAA, GDPR and PDPA complaint to achieve data sovereignty, data security and digital trust to protect you and your patients.

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Reference:

1. Healthcare data  breaches hit all-time high in 2021, impacting 45M people. Fierce Healthcare.  Published February 1, 2022. Accessed November 30, 2023.  https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/healthcare-data-breaches-hit-all-time-high-2021-impacting-45m-people#:~:text=Cybersecurity%20breaches%20hit%20an%20all,from%2034%20million%20in%202020.

2. American Medical  Association. Patient survey shows unresolved tension over health data  privacy. American Medical Association. Published July 25, 2022. Accessed  December 30, 2023.  https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/patient-survey-shows-unresolved-tension-over-health-data-privacy.

3. Tangari G, Ikram M,  Ijaz K, Kaafar MA, Berkovsky S. Mobile health and privacy: cross sectional  study. BMJ. 2021 Jun 16;373:n1248. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n1248. PMID: 34135009;  PMCID: PMC8207561.