Article Excerpt: When using mobile tools for healthcare purposes, ethical standards must be taken into account, dealing with everything from development of devices and apps to determining what data should be collected and how it should be shared.
In a viewpoint published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, health researchers from Australia and the United Kingdom outline the challenges mHealth presents, and how providers and developers can ensure such issues are addressed.
Highlights from the article include:
-When it comes to de-identification and anonymity, developers must communicate with users about the option, as well as about the use of third-party data use
-For storage and data transmission, the risk of privacy breaches can be minimized by “thoughtful consideration” of how data is stored on devices and shared among clinical treatment teams
-Developers should record and transmit only the minimal amount of data necessary for the purpose of the app or device-
Tools should maximize opportunities for users to control what data are shared with the clinical/research team, such as through the use of pop-up messages asking whether they consent to specific information being shared
Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/plt7hlh
Article Source: Fierce Mobile Healthcare