Medical Privacy and Big Data

Author(s):  
Carissa Véliz

This chapter explores the challenge that big data brings to medical privacy. Big data promises to significantly enhance the power of medicine to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. With this promise, however, come significant privacy risks to data subjects who could suffer unfair discrimination, exposure, extortion, and limited access to health care. To minimize these risks, inappropriate uses of data should be outlawed, and consent must be sought from data subjects, even if it is a limited form of consent such as tiered consent or consent from a data trust. Bad data practices should be made illegal, corporations managing sensitive data ought to respect fiduciary duties and confidentiality, as well as implement the best possible security protocols, and periodically delete data. Regulation must ensure that private companies do not monopolize medical data. I argue that the most effective way of protecting people from suffering unfair medical consequences is by having a public universal health-care system.

Author(s):  
Pauline A. Mashima

Important initiatives in health care include (a) improving access to services for disadvantaged populations, (b) providing equal access for individuals with limited or non-English proficiency, and (c) ensuring cultural competence of health-care providers to facilitate effective services for individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, 2001). This article provides a brief overview of the use of technology by speech-language pathologists and audiologists to extend their services to underserved populations who live in remote geographic areas, or when cultural and linguistic differences impact service delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711005
Author(s):  
Raza Naqvi ◽  
Octavia Gale

BackgroundPreventative medicine has become a central focus in primary care provision, with greater emphasis on education and access to health care screening. The Department of Health reports existing health inequalities and inequalities in access within ethnic minority groups. Studies assessing the value of community engagement in primary care have reported variable outcomes in term of subsequent service utilisation.AimTo consider the benefit of community-based health screening checks to improve access and health outcomes in minority ethnic groups.MethodAn open community health screening event (n = 43), to allow targeted screening within an ethnic minority population. Screening included BP, BMI, BM and cholesterol. Results were interpreted by a healthcare professional and counselling was provided regarding relevant risk factors. Post-event feedback was gathered to collate participant opinion and views.ResultsSeventy-nine per cent of participants were from ethnic minority backgrounds: 64% were overweight or obese and 53% of participants were referred to primary care for urgent review following abnormal findings. All those referred would not have accessed healthcare without the event referral. All (100%) participants believed it improved health education and access to health care.ConclusionThis study clearly demonstrates the value of targeted community-led screening and education events in public health promotion. There was a significant benefit in providing community-based screening. There is a need for a longitudinal analysis to determine the impact on health outcomes and long-term access to healthcare provision.


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