Less than half of Americans think their personal health data is protected: report

Jackie Drees -

While more than half (53 percent) of Americans feel that technology has helped them establish a more connected relationship with healthcare providers, just 38 percent believe there are proper safeguards in place to protect their personal health information, according to a recent Kantar report.

For its report, Kantar surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults in November on their opinions regarding the integration of technology and healthcare.

Here are four report insights:

1. Thirty-six percent of respondents do not believe there are proper safeguards in place to protect their health data, while 26 percent said they are unsure whether adequate safeguards existed.

2. A lack of confidence in proper safeguards has impacted consumers' willingness to use tech products in their daily lives, with more than 60 percent of survey participants attributing privacy concerns as a factor for not using telemedicine or wearable fitness trackers.

3. Sixteen percent of participants said they have used voice technology, such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, to look up answers about an illness or health issue.

4. Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents said they would consider using an implantable device to manage medical conditions such as dementia, Parkinson's or chronic pain.

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