Healthcare Leaders Call For Privacy Legislation
Measures should be taken to protect patients seeking to use mobile devices to receive healthcare.
WASHINGTON, July 4, 2024– Healthcare industry leaders say that security and privacy legislation is essential for telehealth at Wednesday’s Broadband Breakfast Live Online event.
Experts discussed the critical role of ensuring privacy and security measures in broadband technology. They claimed that these measures can significantly enhance healthcare by supporting the independence of disabled individuals, improving chronic condition management, and facilitating the use of smartphones for health tracking.
Julia Skapik
The use of smartphones allows “patients to really document and track conditions that they have chronically,” said Julia Skapik, chief medical information officer for the National Association of Community Health Centers. This enables patients to track their symptoms as they go and report on it as needed, creating more accurate data for doctors to use.
Catherine Pugh, director of digital health at the Consumer Technology Association, highlighted the importance of privacy legislation and efforts by the Consumer Technology Association to create guidelines for industries on best practices for protecting health data privacy, which falls outside the scope of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a significant privacy legislation for the healthcare industry.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology and Federal Communications Commission’s Cyber Trust Mark Program “recognized that there is a need for security” and education for consumers on the devices they are buying and putting in their homes, said Pugh.
“It is essential to be able to give this independence to these individuals,” said Paul Via, the director of technology at Champions Community Foundation, referring to patients having access to technology and mobile applications.
The Champions Community Foundation works to provide disabled young adults the independence from their families that they desire. An important part of the program is having access to some form of technology to access the apps provided by the Foundation, said Via.
July 3, 2024 – Health Care and Smart Cities
The rise of smart city infrastructure and the Internet of Things presents exciting opportunities for transforming how healthcare is delivered. Innovative technologies such as remote patient monitoring, virtual doctor visits and environmental sensing for disease prevention could greatly enhance access to healthcare, reduce costs and improve overall quality. However, these solutions also raise significant challenges regarding data privacy, cybersecurity risks, and the potential for a digital divide to exacerbate existing healthcare inequities. Tune in for an insightful panel as experts grapple with the risks and rewards of integrating smart city technology into healthcare delivery.
Panelists
- Julia Skapik, Chief Medical Information Officer, National Association of Community Health Centers
- Paul Via, Director of Technology, Champions Community Foundation
- Ann Mond Johnson, CEO, American Telemedicine Association (ATA)
- Catherine Pugh, Director of Digital Health, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Julia Skapik
