Register

I agree with the Privacy Policy

In The News

Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers

August 17, 2015

remote health monitoring

connected health devices

fitness tracker

According to research firm Parks Associates, the majority of those surveyed indicated that they are not willing to share data collected from wearable devices, even if it meant receiving a discount on their health insurance premiums. In spite of this reluctance, these same consumers were willing to share data for the purpose of troubleshooting the devices themselves.

The results of the survey varied significantly by device. Forty-two percent of digital pedometer owners were willing to share data in order to receive a health insurance discount; for smartwatch owners the total was 35 percent; and for sleep-quality monitor owners it was 26 percent. Nevertheless, a solid majority of device owners was not willing to share data.

Consumers are justified in their concerns about health data privacy. The Los Angeles Times told in July of a security breach in October 2014 where hackers compromised UCLA Health Systems’ computer network, putting 4.5 million patients’ sensitive data at risk. What was troubling about the incident was that it took nearly seven months from the time suspicious activity was discovered in October, to May 5, which is when investigators determined the system was hacked. Additionally troubling was that the data was not even encrypted.

From the article "Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers" by Christopher Mohr.

Previously In The News

Connecting the connected car to the connected home

According to the latest Parks Associates research, nearly two-thirds of US drivers want connected car functionality as standard on their next new ride and 25 per cent of consumers are already intrigue...

Only 15% of US Consumers Used A Telecare Service in Past 12 Months

As consumers integrate connected devices and services ever more deeply into their lifestyles, they bring the same expectation and desire to their health and wellbeing. New research from Parks Associat...

How Digital Service Providers Are Challenging AT&T

Eero is not alone. Luma Home Inc., Ignition Design Labs, Securifi, and Torch all offer competitive routers with features once only seen in large enterprises. “New routers are seeking to address severa...

Competing Tech Support Startups Merge To Provide More In-home Help

The U.S. tech support sector is worth about $30 billion annually, according Reuters citing research by Parks Associates. HelloTech’s competition includes the Geek Squad, which is run by electronics re...

‹
1
2
...
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
...
733
734
›