Register

I agree with the Privacy Policy

In The News

Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers

August 17, 2015

remote health monitoring

connected health devices

fitness tracker

According to research firm Parks Associates, the majority of those surveyed indicated that they are not willing to share data collected from wearable devices, even if it meant receiving a discount on their health insurance premiums. In spite of this reluctance, these same consumers were willing to share data for the purpose of troubleshooting the devices themselves.

The results of the survey varied significantly by device. Forty-two percent of digital pedometer owners were willing to share data in order to receive a health insurance discount; for smartwatch owners the total was 35 percent; and for sleep-quality monitor owners it was 26 percent. Nevertheless, a solid majority of device owners was not willing to share data.

Consumers are justified in their concerns about health data privacy. The Los Angeles Times told in July of a security breach in October 2014 where hackers compromised UCLA Health Systems’ computer network, putting 4.5 million patients’ sensitive data at risk. What was troubling about the incident was that it took nearly seven months from the time suspicious activity was discovered in October, to May 5, which is when investigators determined the system was hacked. Additionally troubling was that the data was not even encrypted.

From the article "Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers" by Christopher Mohr.

Previously In The News

Next-Generation Wi-Fi 7 Standard Expected To Be Finalized in Early 2024

“Wi-Fi 7 offers dramatically increased speeds over Wi-Fi 6 and 6E,” said Kristen Hanich, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company specializing in consumer technology...

The Sensible Dwelling Cybersecurity Tales That Mattered This Year

In keeping with analysis from Parks Associates, 54% of U.S. web households report experiencing an information privateness or safety challenge over the past 12 months, a rise of 50% since 2018. From...

How to protect your Cyber Monday packages from porch pirates this holiday season

Video doorbells are also a growing in popularity across the U.S. In the second quarter of 2023, 20% of U.S. households had a video doorbell, according to the Smart Home Consumer Insights Dashboard pro...

From FAST channels to co-viewing, CTV advertising will look different in 2024

Free ad-supported television is growing dramatically. According to Parks Associates, U.S. ad-supported streaming households surged to 41% in this year’s third quarter, up from 31% in Q1 2023. From...

‹
1
2
...
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
...
717
718
›