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

Here’s a Tip to Companies: Beware of Promoting AI in Products

A separate new study from market-research firm Parks Associates that used different methods and included a much larger sample size came to similar conclusions about consumers’ reaction to AI in pr...

WWDC: Apple Unifies Operating Systems, Makes iPad More PC

Getting AI use cases right remains tricky, warned Kristen Hanich, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company specializing in consumer technology products in Dallas....

Pro Monitoring, Smart Homes and the Decline of Traditional Security

A new Parks Associates white paper explores how shifting consumer expectations are accelerating the decline of traditional home security systems and creating new opportunities for integrators focu...

How Connected TVs Are Changing the Way We Shop

Connected TV, no matter which way you splice the cord, has upended the media consumption game. And a recent report from Parks Associates found that this space’s next frontier could be t-commerce—telev...

‹
1
2
...
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
...
742
743
›