Discovery's Apple a day won't keep the doctor away

Issue #155, 1st September 2012


Discovery's Apple a day won't keep the doctor away

A Discovery Health member – already alerted by Noseweek to the privacy implications of Discovery’s online HealthID system (nose153) – was further alarmed when he found the following statement in the latest Discovery magazine: “Introducing HealthID. The technology that puts your health records in your doctor’s hands. Once you have given permission, your doctor can use an Apple iPad application to access your medical history... all with a touch of a finger.”

Once you have given your permission, it remains valid until you withdraw it.

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Reader's comments

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Submitted by : Pete on 2012-09-04 08:30:25
Google, facebook, and now Discovery. All think they OWN you. You are the vehicle for their riches and you have no rights. Everything you give to them in confidence is THEIRS. Sure, you can try and fight it, but even where they lose and get ordered by courts to delete data, they simply ignore the order. Google lied that it had deleted data, but still has all the data it was ordered to delete.
 
Submitted by : Frederick on 2012-08-30 09:23:29
While reading your article "essential med" is displaying and advert on the Noseweek page that I can get unlimited access to 3,000 health practitioners for R285 p/m and "Momentum health" is advertising that I can save up to R 1,125 a month I suggest Noseweek interpret this 24 carat BS for us the readers. Why do we never see what medical schemes do not do; the claim portions they do not pay, the claims they do not consider, the pre-authorisations they do not deliver within their promised time and ...?
 
Submitted by : Donn on 2012-08-29 22:26:49
Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the public. There are a number of questions that Discovery won't answer. Their "ducking and diving" is documented on my blog, "Insights and Rants".

The question of security, both from the doctor's point of view, and the patient's, nave not been answered or addressed. In their efforts to make the program "convenient", they have sacrificed security. It is a common mistake made by sloppy programmers and uncaring corporations.

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