Many American healthcare consumers have no idea where their medical data is kept, which is concerning in an era where data breaches occur at alarming rates, according to a recent ScalaMed survey.
ScalaMed, an Australian-based health tech startup that offers a mobile prescription system, asked 800 U.S. patients about the problems they face accessing their health information.
Here are eight survey insights.
1. Nearly 62.8 percent of respondents don't know where their medical data is kept or who has access to it.
2. More than 90 percent of respondents said they didn't know whether the software their physician's office uses to record their medical information sells their data for a profit.
3. Just under 50 percent of respondents want a more patient-centric approach to healthcare because they often feel sidelined in the management of their medical records.
4. Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they should own their health data.
5. More than a third of respondents have trouble remembering the names and dosages of their prescriptions. Waiting periods, access to appropriate healthcare, access to their pharmacy and forgetting to renew prescriptions were top issues in regards to medication adherence.
6. More than half of respondents expressed concerns related to data security and hacking issues if their prescription records were stored in one central location.
7. About 43 percent of respondents said they'd be interested in a mobile app that would help manage their prescriptions, and a digital reminder would be most useful.
8. Most respondents (85 percent) do not think the government has a plan to resolve or manage these data access issues.