What Clinicians Should Tell Patients About Wearable Devices and Data Privacy: A Narrative Review

The recent growth of wearable medical device technology in fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartphone apps, and patient monitoring systems has created people-generated health data (PGHD) that may benefit medical science with large amounts of continuous real-world data. The prevalence of these devices speaks to their broad popularity and user-friendliness and may lead us one day to a more fully "connected healthcare system." Meanwhile, data security, confidentiality, and privacy issues have emerged in these hackable systems. Despite the promise of anonymized data, data can sometimes be re-identified. However, even without that step, data breaches may reveal information (name, address, date of birth, social security number, and so on) sufficient for identity theft. Clinicians are often asked about the utility and value of wearable devices or monitors. Still, most are unaware that data from these systems may be transmitted, stored, and even sold without the user's specific knowledge. Despite the confidentiality of medical information, cybersecurity surrounding wearables and monitors remains relatively lax, making them comparatively easy targets for cyber villains. It is also important that efforts be made to make PGHD more secure since medical data may be of great value to telehealth applications and AI-physician assistants. Clinicians should actively inform patients about the risks and benefits of wearables and similar devices.