WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced a plan for a new private health tracking system that will make it easier for patients to access their health records and monitor their wellness across health care systems and technologies. The system, however, is raising a host of privacy questions.
The collaboration between the federal government and Big Tech would allow patients to more seamlessly track and share their medical records or data among doctors, hospital systems and health apps, the administration and participating companies say.
Details of the system were announced Wednesday during a White House event dubbed “Making Health Technology Great Again.”
Here’s how it would work
The system would be maintained by the federal government through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, pulling health data kept by Big Tech companies like Amazon, Google and Apple as well as major health companies like hospital system Cleveland Clinic and insurer UnitedHealth Group. Patients will need to opt in to have their medical records and data shared, which CMS says will be kept secure.
Once a patient is in the system, their information could be shared across apps or health systems that have joined the initiative. So, for example, the Apple Health app on your iPhone that tracks your daily step count or your sleep could access lab results from your doctor’s office. Putting that information together, the Trump administration says, will offer a fuller picture of your health.
Apps and AI technology could also help people make better choices at the grocery store or identify patterns in their day-to-day life that might be affecting their health, said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during Wednesday’s White House event.
“Now if you have your medical records, you can get personalized advice,” Kennedy said.
