Apple Adds Medical Records Feature For iPhone (cnbc.com) 101
On Wednesday, Apple released the test version of a new product that lets users download their health records, store them safely and show them to a doctor, caregiver or friend. "We view the future as consumers owning their own health data," Apple COO Jeff Williams said in an interview with CNBC. From the report: It all works when a user opens the iPhone's health app, navigates to the health record section, and, on the new tool, adds a health provider. From there, the user taps to connect to Apple's software system and data start streaming into the service. Patients will get notified via an alert if new information becomes available. In June, CNBC first reported on Apple's plans, including early discussions with top U.S. hospitals. The company confirmed that it has contracts with about a dozen hospitals across the country, including Cedars-Sinai, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Penn Medicine and the University of California, San Diego. The medical information available will include allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals. The information is encrypted and protected through a user's iPhone passcode.
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No, actually you are mostly incorrect. HIPAA allows law enforcement quite a bit of leeway. Yes, they have to jump through a couple of hoops. No, it's not particularly difficult.
A HIPAA covered entity also may disclose PHI to law enforcement without the individual’s signed HIPAA authorization in certain incidents, including:
To report PHI to a law enforcement official reasonably
able to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safetyof an individual or the public.
To report PHIthat the covered entityin good faith believes to be evidence of a crime thatoccurred on the premises of the covered entity
To alert law enforcement to the death of the individual when there is a suspicion that death resulted from criminal conduct.
When responding to an off-site medical emergency, as necessary to alert law enforcement to criminal activity.
To report PHI to law enforcement when required by law to do so (such as reporting gunshots or stab wounds).
To comply with a court order or court ordered warrant, a subpoena or summons issued by a judicial officer, or an administrative requestfrom a law enforcement official (the administrative request must include a written statement that the information requested is relevant and material, specific and limited in scope, and de-identified information cannot be used).
To respond to a request for PHI for purposes of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive,material witness or missing person, but the information must be limitedto basic demographic and health informationabout the person.
To respond to a request for PHI about an adult victim of a crime whenthe victim agrees (or in limited circumstances if the individual is unable to agree). Child abuse or neglect may be reported, without a parent’s agreement, to any law enforcement
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/defa... [hhs.gov]
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Not sure you know what Entrapment means other than it was a movie and CZJ has an amazing ass in it.
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Not sure you know what Entrapment means other than it was a movie and CZJ has an amazing ass in it.
Yes, and that ass has an amazing accent.
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Think hard and long about it.
I did, Your argument makes no sense.
Possession of photographs of under-age children engaged in sexual activities is a crime, has been for a long time. For the past decade or two people have been able to store photos on their phone. The ability to store possibly incriminating photos on your phone does NOT mean the police have a "reasonable suspicion to open EVERYONE'S phone" to see if they have child sex photos on them.
The possibility that evidence exists somewhere - on a device, in a drawer, etc. - does not
Apple's reaction (Score:2, Insightful)
Now apple gets to tout that they need flawless encryption to prevent being accused of HIPPA violations!
Playing one agency of the government against the other ought to be fun.
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No (Score:4, Insightful)
So Apple want me to use the same passcode for both my phone access and my medical records? There's no way I'd even consider doing that.
Re:No (Score:5, Interesting)
This actually the biggest issue I have as well. We need to be able to easily create and manage layers of security within our phones.
I'm fine with a simple convenient pin or fingerprint to unlock my phone to place a call, check sms, get directions, use the pay parking app, etc.
But I'd like to have to enter a more secure passphrase to access work email, open documents, view pictures, etc.
And perhaps have something even above that for banking, or health records.
Having a secure passphrase to answer the phone makes the phone unusable. And having anything really important protected by a 4 digit code isn't acceptable, so i can't have anything important on my phone as a result.
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And having anything really important protected by a 4 digit code isn't acceptable, so i can't have anything important on my phone as a result.
What phone do you have which only offers the choice of a 4-digit lock code? It’s obviously not an iPhone - even the default is 6 digits, and you can choose a pass phrase that’s as arbitrarily hard as you’d like.
Additionally, there are some options that let you select what TouchID can and can’t be used to unlock. I’ll be curious to see if your health information is one of them in this new beta.
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What phone do you have which only offers the choice of a 4-digit lock code? Itâ(TM)s obviously not an iPhone - even the default is 6 digits, and you can choose a pass phrase thatâ(TM)s as arbitrarily hard as youâ(TM)d like.
My phone allows an arbitrarily long passphrase. That isn't the problem. However if I set one, then I have to enter it before I can send my wife a text like "I'm running late", or look up where the nearest gas station is. That makes the phone unusable to me.
So I have a short passphrase that is convenient to enter often.
But as a result of that decision, I can't keep anything important on my phone at all, because if I did the only thing that stands between the world and the important stuff is a short simple pa
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I send WhatsApp messages to my wife every day without unlocking my phone. You need a better phone, or you need an education.
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First WhatsApps is owned by facebook. I wouldn't touch that app.
Second, the only functionality I'm aware of is the ability to respond to a message via the notification screen. Ie... the only way to send a message without unlocking is to reply to one you have received first. That's hardly a solution.
If I'm mistaken and you are using different functionality, by all means, go ahead, please educate me.
Now, for my part, that's not even useful. I have it set that the notifications won't display content until the
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That's why it was discovered over 50% of people did not put a PIN on their phones - because having to enter it to do those things was a huge PITA.
It's why we have fingerprint scanners and pattern unlocks etc. to make it easier and quicker to unlock.
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Which piece-of-shit phone requires unlocking to answer a call?
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I was exaggerating slightly. I can answer a call, i can take a picture (but cant look at the gallery). I can call 911. I can see the time. So I can do a few things without unlocking, and that's fine.
But the point was that there's a bunch of things I want to be able to do with a simple lock; because I want it to be convenient. And there's a few tings I want to do with a hard lock.
Right now, I can either put everything behind a hard lock, or everything behind an easy lock. I choose an easy phrase, because a h
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But I'd like to have to enter a more secure passphrase to access work email, open documents, view pictures, etc.
And perhaps have something even above that for banking, or health records.
Yes, it should be really, really hard for third-parties - like doctors in the ER - to gain access to your medical records, that's a great idea.
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Again, this is pretty overrated as a concept. It's nice to know, but **usually** isn't a deal breaker. If you're that sick that you can't reply, we don't need what meds you get a rash on..
The chances of you ending up in the ER critically ill are much less than the chances that some person or agency will want to use that information in a nefarious fashion.
Nothing is certain, there are always exceptions, Murphy was an optimist.
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1password or another password manager does this. I keep my med list / problem list in a file in 1password. Assuming I'm conscious enough to get my finger on the app, I can show medical providers that information. If' I'm that out of it, most of that material is irrelevant.
Even allergies aren't all that important in a life or death situation. Nice to know, but we can work around them.
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Tell me about it. My phone is far more important than that!
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I'd be more worried about having that data in iCloud. Celebrities' private photos leaking was bad enough, now imagine the next wave of celebrity medical record leaks.
We view the future . . . (Score:2)
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Siri then piped up on the COO's iPhone X, surplus model, announcing in her cool and precise diction: "Jeff, don't worry . . . in 2025, Apple will own the consumers too, so your statement remains correct".
The previously only flustered COO now turned bright red, and hurriedly stuffed the iPhone into his pants, before trying to proceed with the interview. "Oh Jeff . . . . ", Siri's muffled voice could be heard to say, "I found 15 billion, 345 million, 625 thousand, 102 advertisements for penis enhancement. Wou
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Perhaps he means "owning" because they'll be buying it, through iHealthPortal.
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Because Apple wants to be shut down over publicly violating HIPAA. Perhaps you think you're cute, but you're actually a moron and a bigot.
How bout NO! (Score:1, Informative)
If there is going to be some kind of exchange of patient records between DRs and patients, it needs to be some standard open format. Not apple's proprietary system.
Not to mention there is already enough with people self diagnosing on the web with the likes of WebMD and crackpot homeopathic sites, Last thing we need to do is empower this even more.
Also how long till "apple approved" services can import this data, like WebMD above or other crackpot sites and we end up with some huge HIPPA related data leak.
Re:How bout NO! (Score:5, Interesting)
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Facts have no place in the mind of an Anonymous bigot.
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It might be an 'open standard' but it's not a very standard standard. Implementations vary all over the map. I'm not even sure Apple is big enough to push everybody else around. Perhaps.
Things ARE getting better in this respect. The big EHR vendors (and Apple) are trying to make this portal thing work.
I'm not exactly sure that this is a good thing .....
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Also how long till "apple approved" services can import this data, like WebMD above or other crackpot sites and we end up with some huge HIPPA related data leak.
Your "opt-in" will remove any HIPPA concerns.
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HL7v2 Is widely used for system to system transmission, it is simply stated a Pipe (The standard has this as actually customizable) delimited file where the first 3 characters on each line define the columns for that section. So if the first 3 characters have PV1 it will contain Provider information, PID will have the Patient Identifiers...
HL7v3 is XML Based version... This isn't widely used, while out for about a decade, the HL7 Protocol is firmly entrenched into most medical systems ecosystems.
the CCD/CC
Too much trust (Score:2)
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Somebody who's not in my whitelist, can't even call me, or ring my door bell. (Yes, it takes into account cops and emergency services.)
How, exactly, do you prevent a stranger from pressing your doorbell?
It is integrated with the door entry system, house security, DNS, the WWW, instant messaging, e-mail, phone and mobile phone calls, everything my mobile phone and PC and any other device does, any every portable thing containing data. Obviously all in well-separated virtual machines with VMmetal firewalls that are integrated into the whitelist system as well, deciding what the VM can do. [Because VMs are not security solutions!])
Wait, your super-secure, every piece of personal information/data server is attached to the public internet? Game Over, it can be hacked, period.
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But at least I’m ready for when I get to make my own FPGA from scratch, and have read the entirety of the hardware description code of the CPU that will go in there. I don't care how long of a wait it is.
Well, given that you appear to be about twelve years old, you should have plenty of time to wait.
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You think I would trust any COMPANY to guard any of my data.
I think your complaint isn't so much with "any COMPANY" so much as the physical security of your personal device - your smartphone with your banking or medical history falling into the wrong hands. All the data you want to protect is already in the hands of a "COMPANY".
Let patients / consumers own the responsibility (Score:1)
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And what could *possibly* go wrong?
Now it makes sense (Score:2)
When I was diagnosed... (Score:5, Insightful)
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What part of "have an opt out" did you miss?
For all the "taboo" things you think people care about, the vast majority of the population has no such misgivings about their medical records. A system that improves the general good for the overwhelmingly vast majority of the population is exactly the textbook use case for opt-out systems.
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Its worth pointing out that if Paramedics were called to your unconscious twitching body I can guarantee you they will not be wasting any time messing around with an iPhone. There's next to nothing a Medic would be able to do in that situation other than administer oxygen, check glucose levels, basically they'll just "load and go". Some medics are able to administer thrombolytics like TNK, but that's a different scenario. Besides there are already items you can wear on your body such as bracelets that can n
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For me, I'd MUCH rather have the EMS personnel responding to my twitching, unconscious body know about my AVM and be able to respond with real, accurate info than worry that someone will find out I got the clap back in 1979.
And while you are lying there, twitching unconscious on the ground, how will the EMS personnel figure out your passcode/pin to access all that "real, accurate info" locked away on your smartphone? Get a medical alert bracelet, put a brief description of your health issue (AVM) and a QR code on it pointing to your online medical records - problem solved.
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Don't forget the 'Do Not Resuscitate' tattoo (in the appropriate circumstances, of course).
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"Too bad" or "sucks to be them"? I can't imagine a situation where you would need MRI data (rather than the text report which your insurance company, their insurance company, the hospital, the radiologist and likely your little sister) has.
If you 'popped' you Arteriovenous malformation or aneurysm or some other brain bubble, we'll do our own CT, thank you very much and ship you to a neurosurgeon who will do their own CT / MRI or whatever and decide what to do. If you're stable enough for the providers to
PDF Folder (Score:2)
I have a folder containing PDFs for that.
But calling it a "feature" sounds much nicer.
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How would a medical professional know to go thumbing through your smartphone when you are lying unconscious in the hospital? Do you happen to have a passcode/pin or other security mechanism the nurse would have to navigate through to access those records?
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Sigh. Apple sells *devices*, not data. The records data sits on your devices and Apple doesn't get to see it. In fact, it's engineered so that Apple can't see it even if it wanted to. That's kinda the point. It's a competitive differentiation from Android.
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It is a business disadvantage for Apple to be able to read that data. Cynicism makes you look oh-so-clever, but cynicism is supposed to be worldly-wise, and ignoring the material disadvantages that accrue to Apple from being able to read that data (less trust leading to lower revenues, more hassle from the Feebs, no expertise in monetising data through eg resales and no business built on this either, etc) is not very worldly-wise.
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I don't know who you think you're quoting, but it's certainly not me. And Apple doesn't ask consumers to share most types of data with Apple. It doesn't ask you to share your notes, your email, your calendar, your health data, your photos, etc. You may choose to use Apple's cloud services to store that data (eg iMessages) but Apple doesn't look at the data and in fact has engineered those services so that it can't.
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Last I looked into it, Apple sells third-party Apps, Music, and Movies, AKA "Media" and the sales of "devices" are to increase consumption of the "media" they offer. I believe "Media" is the largest revenue source for Apple.
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It might be possible to be less informed, but you'd have to work quite hard at it.
Apple sells this phone called the iPhone. You might have heard of it. It makes rather more money for them than "Media" (or Services, which is an actual category for Apple). In FYQ4 2017, iPhone made $29bn vs $9bn for Services.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom... [apple.com]
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How will a nurse get your iPhone passcode to unlock your medical records if you are unconscious?
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How will a nurse get your iPhone passcode to unlock your medical records if you are unconscious?
https://support.apple.com/HT20... [apple.com]
Press the Home button.
Tap Emergency.
On the Emergency call screen, you can make a call or tap Medical ID to see emergency medical information stored on the device.
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You understand that for many/most Americans some significant subset of their complete medical history is available online, locked away in the databases in insurance companies, if nothing else in the form of records of payments and supporting records for every medical procedure reimbursed by their insurance carrier? The ability to replicate your medical records onto your iPhone doesn't make insurance company, employer access to that data easier.
Do you possess your most personal data? (Score:2)
I'd like to know if Apple has any patent on this. If so, I might get a big laugh on my former employer who wasn't interested when I suggested this same idea in the official new-idea system some years ago. They didn't even publish it to prevent anyone else from patenting the approach, but I STILL think it's a good approach, and NOT just for medical information.
Possession remains 9 points of the law.
Sounds secure (Score:2)
And here's the problem... (Score:2)
The medical information available will include allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals. The information is encrypted and protected through a user's iPhone passcode.
Imagine you've been in a serious car accident, you're taken to the hospital and while you are lying there unconscious the nurse stands near you fumbling with your iPhone, trying to figure out if you have any allergies. You, of course, being unconscious, can't tell the nurse your iPhone passcode.
How is this anything more than a folder on your phone? Sad that this is considered an "innovation" - how far Apple has fallen since Steve Jobs passed...
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Congratulations! You've constructed a straw man argument to argue against!
That's not what this is for. If you have the sort of allergy that an ER needs to know, clearly, you're continuing to wear your Medic Alert bracelet, or similar.
This is what gives you the option to switch healthcare providers without worrying that your records are being held hostage. This allows you to seek a second opinion more easily. This allows you to own the tests that are run against your own body.
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That won't work either. If you come to a doctor with your 'own' medical records, there is a very good chance that said doctor will want the 'real' version from the other medical provider. The one that said that you weren't exactly upfront about your alcoholism / addiction / My Little Pony fetish. People lie all of the time. It's a very human condition.
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