White House announces new way for private companies to track medical data

The Trump administration unveiled a health partnership between the White House and private tech companies, aiming to simplify health tracking and record access for Americans. However, some have raised concerns about the ethics and legality of the plan. 

The administration said more than 60 companies, including Google, Amazon and Apple have signed on to the plan. Major health care groups like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health have also agreed to help with the plan.

What is the goal of the initiative?

The administration’s new proposal will focus on diabetes, weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients and digital tools that register patients for check-ins or track medications. President Donald Trump announced the plan aimed at improving the speed and affordability of healthcare for Americans, according to The Associated Press.

“For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade,” Trump said. “The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will oversee the program. CMS officials said patients will need to opt in to allow the system to share their medical records and data. They stressed that the data will be secure.

According to The Guardian, the officials said the program will help people, allowing them to quickly find their records without having to use fax machines or older technology. 

“We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience,” CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said.

Why do some have concerns?

Some legal experts raised concerns that the new system may put convenience over keeping medical records private. Georgetown University law professor Lawrence Gostin said this should concern Americans.

“There are enormous ethical and legal concerns,” Gostin told the AP. “Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families.”