Our bodies, our data : how companies make billions selling our medical records /
Hidden from consumers, patient medical data has become a multibillion-dollar worldwide trade between our health-care providers, drug companies and a complex web of middlemen. This great medical-data bazaar sells copies of our prescriptions, hospital records, insurance claims, blood-test results and...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Boston :
Beacon Press,
[2017]
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| Summary: | Hidden from consumers, patient medical data has become a multibillion-dollar worldwide trade between our health-care providers, drug companies and a complex web of middlemen. This great medical-data bazaar sells copies of our prescriptions, hospital records, insurance claims, blood-test results and more, stripped of names but still containing identifiers such as year of birth, gender and doctor. As computing grows ever more sophisticated, patient dossiers are increasingly vulnerable to re-identification, which could make them a target for identity thieves or hackers. Paradoxically, comprehensive electronic files for patient treatment-a key reason medical data exists in the first place-remain an elusive goal. Even today, patients and their doctors rarely have easy access to full records that could improve care. In the evolution of medical data, the instinct for profit has outstripped patient needs. This book reveals the previously hidden story of how such a system evolved internationally. This investigative narrative seeks to spark debate on how we can best balance the promise big data offers to advance medicine and improve lives, while preserving the rights and interests of every patients. We, the patients, deserve a say in this discussion. After all, it's our data. |
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| Physical Description: | 218 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780807033340 0807033340 |