The Privacy Factor, and The Personal

Health Issues

By: Suzan Al-Mahmoud

 Privacy is important for all of us and most of us take it for granted. When
going to a doctor or pharmacy, it is to be expected to have your own secrecy, yet
we have numerous occasions where our information has been breached and seen
by outside sources which leads us to trying to stay covert in our lives. So what is
personal health issues, and how is our data being breached?

Privacy is like a push from the back, it keeps you confident. This is especially
true when talking about health, it may come off as a shock to some but it actually
happens around us all the times, even people who conduct thievery do it through
masking themselves, that is another form of privacy.

In the realm of research, the ability to connect the dots is a critical skill that
goes beyond merely absorbing information from literary sources. It involves
synthesizing and integrating the knowledge gleaned from various researchers
working in a similar field. This process transcends the surface-level understanding
of individual sources, requiring a deep analysis and comprehension of the broader
context, patterns, and relationships within the body of literature


According to an article provided by National Cybersecurity Alliance, breaches
of information are common, including health systems and programs where your
data is saved after every hospital visit. The article also presents information on how
important privacy is for you as a person, it breaks it down to three relevant points.
First, health data is very important as it can impact employment prospects and
insurance coverage. Second, the health data that has been breached into could
contain data of your financial account information, social security numbers, and
addresses. Third, health data is so very accurate about yourself that it could be used
as blackmail towards you.

More relating to privacy, research conducted by the National Library of
Medicine shows that privacy can allow you to make your own personal decisions
about yourself, it also allows for individuality among people allowing you to feel
that you are not just a random but you are you to yourself which is an extremely
important aspect when it comes to mental health. Privacy was shown to be helpful
in two other sections which include firstly, respect towards yourself and others.
People do not want to know the entire catalog of the secrets you hold, it makes
them less interested in you as a person. Second, dignity, many people consider their
worth through what they hold dear, and most things you hold dear are private to
you. Once breached, it feels as if you have lost the one thing that truly belongs to
you which is why it is important.


The Privacy Rule establishes standards governing the use and disclosure of
individuals' health information (protected health information or PHI) by
entities termed covered entities. It also outlines standards for individuals'
rights to comprehend and manage the use of their health information. The
primary objective is to safeguard individuals' health information while
facilitating the necessary flow for quality healthcare, public health
protection, and well-being. The Privacy Rule strikes a balance by permitting
crucial information uses while preserving the privacy of individuals seeking
care and healing.

While there are many advantages to digital healthcare, privacy issues are
also raised. Due to the lack of insurance for many families and the scarcity
of medical experts, health apps and websites are frequently used for
diagnosis and treatment. Data sharing has sparked worries, though, as mental
health apps may share data with other parties, Google may keep track of
 health-related internet searches, and Facebook may receive patient
information from hospital websites. Users' protections under the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are restricted, and it
has been discovered that well-known health applications share user data with
advertisers.

The process to finding the results is just as important as the results

themselves, if the source is not direct or trusted then it is a failure as research due
to it’s inconsistent information and falsified details that are conducted wrongly.


Privacy and health are both relevant topics that once combined cause
confusion as to how that works. The task of this research is to emphasize
upon the concerns of the people, the potential threats that we encounter
through our lives related to personal health issues and to hopefully clarify
where you stand at as an individual

In essence, the research design employed a multi-method approach,
combining secondary data analysis, observations, and interviews to
triangulate findings and offer a more comprehensive understanding of the
research topic. The integration of these methods facilitated a robust analysis
that considered historical context, real-time observations, and direct insights
from involved individuals, contributing to the overall depth and validity of
the research outcomes.

This research uses three data analysis methods. Predictive analysis, by using
the data we have gathered from our secondary data we can assume the future
 possible answers to information that is not yet revealed. Text analysis was
crucial to detect any unnecessary or unwanted data when following up with
our data analysis. Exploratory analysis is important within the field of this
research, through the analysis of privacy and health individually we were
able to find a trend between them so to prove some relevant information that
are related to this research.

In the context of research, the anticipation of predictable results may be a

common expectation, especially when certain hypotheses are based on well-
established theories or existing empirical evidence. However, the statement
underscores a nuanced perspective by acknowledging that predictability, even in
research outcomes, is not an inherent drawback. Instead, it suggests that if the
research yields results that confirm higher-end insecurities with a high degree of
certainty, then the pursuit of such research is not only justified but also highly
valuable.


Privacy is a crucial aspect of healthcare, fostering values like personal
autonomy, individuality, respect, and human dignity. It is essential for
maintaining a free society and preventing harm to individuals. Privacy is not
only about avoiding harm but also promoting open communication between
physicians and patients, crucial for quality healthcare and autonomy.
Perceptions of privacy vary among individuals, influencing the disclosure of
sensitive information. Privacy is not only about avoiding harm but also
about building interpersonal relationships and controlling information
access. It also promotes socially beneficial activities like health research, as
individuals are more likely to participate if their privacy is assured.
Furthermore, privacy enhances data quality by reducing privacy-protective
behaviors that compromise the accuracy of health-related information.
Therefore, privacy is not only about avoiding harm but also about fostering a
free society.

Nowadays being secure is a challenge encountered by many and is quite a
task to accomplish, with technology advancements many are finding a way
around cybersecurity which puts everyone at risk and keeps you alert at all
times, during times of fame this can be most dangerous. Health info
nowadays is protected by high level cybersecurity but we have had some
breaches still which keeps all on the edge of potentially getting their
information completely leaked.

Embarrassment is a huge problem that many worry about whilst thinking
about the many potential data breaches that could happen at any moment and
it is also possible that people worry about the information being used in a
way they did not want. Although it is hard to stop people from worrying
because it is in our nature to worry, yet in this scenario we should really ask
ourselves if we need to, because in a situation like this its best to stay calm
so that you don’t fall into any traps prepared by any external effect.

People worry but there is always a way to keep worries from leaking out,
HIPAA short for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996. HIPAA is a federal law to protect sensitive patient health information
from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. And as
such worries should be less stressful through the knowledge of such a law
that exists.

Apps in default are quite notorious for keeping track of everything you do
and making sure your data is stored along with them, if you were to use an
app to store your health information then you have to make sure that the app
is either associated with the government or is highly famous for it’s positive
 reputation. That is not the only scary part about apps, the HIPAA can not do
much for you when it comes to dealing with online features so you need to
keep an eye out for yourself. Popular health apps sent data from users to
more than 100 outside entities including advertisement companies, this is so
that the advertiser companies can target you and potentially bait you into
buying their products that could benefit you. Even Facebook has been
caught receiving information from patients’ hospitals through the use of its
tracker tool. Google as well, stores our health related internet searches.

There is only one cycle of information where your data is allowed to go
around, it is a three-way cycle between the doctor, the insurance company,
and the hospital itself. Sharing data in any other way is not a recommended
option to give consent to. Recently we also found out that apps have been
sharing our information to advertisers so they can target you specifically.

People have to sign a contract as consent to allow their health privacy to be
shared to the public, otherwise the only allowed share method is the
previously talked about method, if people every sign on a contract that
allows their health info to be given out to the public, they should expect
more from the future.


A good solution is providing a different contract that is related specifically
for sharing health info so that the people do not get confused whenever they
need to sign at any contract. A stronger antivirus would work wonders too. A
constant reminder to be careful about schemes whenever you enter a hospital
would be appreciated. Another solution is the strengthening of the
technological data base within hospitals to ensure that nothing gets breached
or leaked, otherwise people will keep having issues with their lives
regarding privacy.
 During this report, we accumulate our findings based on our interpretation
and analysis. We then use them as implications and compare them with original
literature. And that all is revised and written under the discussion section which is
very crucial.

The results of the research were mainly to clarify the stance all of us should
take when going through the problem which is personal health issues. It is
clear that we should all treasure the privacy we have and make sure to not
enter any malicious contracts or links anywhere. It is also important to
realize the amount of information the health department has on you; it is
your entire life written using text.

Through our findings we can now have a clear view on what personal health
issues actually are and how dangerous it could be if we do not keep an eye
on what we do, and it seems that our data is not as secure due to potential
breaches and weak cybersecurity systems that the health department
possesses. Yet it could still be branched off into another question which is
why are there breaches, this is a question that everyone asks every now and
then, in this situation, it is because this information can be used as
blackmail, and can be sold on the dark web, why people do that is dependent
and respective to their own situation, whether they are trying to cause harm
to someone or earn some quick cash.
 The research can be drawn into an end point that explains how privacy is
important, how health and privacy are related, how we can keep our
information from being shared, and how breaches happen that might cause
harm to the people associated with the attack done by potential hackers. The
research can also be a motivator of how useful privacy is, it is a component
that allows you to keep your health in check and to keep your identity as
yourself through individuality. It is also quite hard to avoid the apps and
technology as it is part of our daily life that we have to deal with and yet we
are forced to watch out for ourselves at all times due to those apps and
breaches.

Privacy is crucial in healthcare, as it instills confidence and prevents data

breaches. Confidentiality is paramount, but breaches can lead to secrecy. Privacy is
essential for personal autonomy, individuality, respect, and human dignity. It
contributes to maintaining a free society and preventing harm, while also ensuring
a free society. Despite its importance, privacy is often taken for granted. Privacy is
crucial for preventing harm and promoting open communication between
physicians and patients. It influences sensitive information disclosure,
interpersonal relationships, and information access. Privacy supports socially
beneficial activities like health research, as individuals are more likely to
participate when assured of privacy. It also enhances data quality by reducing
privacy-protective behaviors. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) addresses cybersecurity risks in the era of technological
advancements, particularly in protecting health information. However, concerns
about leaked data and unauthorized use persist, and apps tracking data should be
carefully considered, with preference given to those associated with the
government or positive reputations and even then some apps are quite dangerous to
use due to their reliance on advertisement companies which they sell your data too.
The recommended information-sharing cycle involves doctors, insurance
companies, and hospitals, with consent and caution in signing contracts. Clear,
specific contracts can alleviate confusion, and strengthening hospital technological
databases can prevent breaches and safeguard individual privacy. And with that it
should all be pretty clear as what you should be doing and following so that you
stay fine.

This research was conducted with technology that is going to be far
surpassed in the future, and at the time being we can only uncover a bit of
the mystery behind the personal health issues that keep occurring all over the
world. There is also the chance that we develop some antivirus to the
malicious apps that are selling our information to the outside sources. It is
also very likely that the situation will differ as health data will become more
and more valuable throughout the years, it is a predictable sight to theorize
in the near future.

References

National Library of Medicine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9579/#:~:text=Breaches%20of%20priva
cy%20and%20confidentiality,stigma%2C%20embarrassment%2C%20and%20disc
rimination.
National Cybersecurity Alliance
https://staysafeonline.org/online-safety-privacy-basics/health-information-privacy-
care/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html#:~:text=The%20Health%2
0Insurance%20Portability%20and,the%20patient's%20consent%20or%20knowled
ge.
The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/22/health-apps-privacy/