FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Public Interest Resource Addresses Mobile Health (mHealth) Concerns
Protecting Your Private Information While Using mHealth Technology
Washington, DC, September 28, 2016—The American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) is pleased to announce the release of a new resource, written to help consumers understand the privacy and security risks that arise with the use of a mobile health (mHealth) technology, as well as risks associated with texting or emailing doctors on a personal mobile device. How Does This Work? Using Mobile Health Technology While Protecting Your Privacy (available for free download at www.healthlawyers.org/mHealthPrivacy provides general guidance on how you can protect the privacy of your health information when using a smartphone or tablet to collect and share your data.
“With the convenience that your health information is collected, stored, transmitted, and shared through the use of your tablet, mHealth apps can make your health information vulnerable to those who are not authorized to view or access such information,” says AHLA President Charlene L. McGinty. “This resource provides consumers with practical tips for protecting your privacy in an mHealth world, from encryption and remote wiping to what types of mHealth apps are available and best practices for communicating with your doctor.”
Today, it seems like almost everyone owns a smartphone, tablet, and/or fitness “wearable.” Consumer mHealth apps comprise 2/3 of all health-related apps currently available. These apps claim to do a number of things, such as measure the number of miles you’ve walked, keep track of your migraines, log your daily caloric intake, and/or remind you to take your medications.
Doctors and hospitals increasingly use mobile devices to communicate more effectively and efficiently with other providers and their patients. Given the number of mHealth apps available at our fingertips, as well as our dependence on mobile technology, protecting the health information we store and share through our devices has become increasingly important in today’s world of mobile technology.
AHLA is proud to provide this useful resource as part of our Public Interest mission, made possible through the generous donations of AHLA members. You can download this important resource for free at
www.healthlawyers.org/mHealthPrivacy.
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The American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) is the nation’s largest nonpartisan educational organization devoted to legal issues in the health care field. The Association’s 13,500 members practice in a variety of settings in the health care community. For information about our resources, publications, educational offerings, and public interest resources visit
www.healthlawyers.org or
@healthlawyers on Twitter.
