5 ms·

Link to the actual study cited in the article - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817444 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetwo

Link to the actual study cited in the article - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817444 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle... And at a quick glance it looks like it is mostly related to website information, not PHI or PII.

wolverine876 2y ago
> is mostly related to website information, not PHI or PII If you are looking for an oncologist or abortions or whatever else, that's PHI. We know well that the industry has profiles on Americans and probably can identify you.
- westpfelia 2y ago
  Exactly! If hospital systems are selling this, who is buying it? Health insurance companies. Then they can judge if they should still cover you or raise your rates.
  - wolverine876 2y ago
    Yes, and many other organizations also want this information. Your detailed profile is valuable, and my impression is that health info is particularly valuable.
malisper 2y ago
Note that website information can still be PHI. From[0]: > if an individual were looking at a hospital’s webpage listing its oncology services to seek a second opinion on treatment options for their brain tumor, the collection and transmission of the individual’s IP address, geographic location, or other identifying information showing their visit to that webpage is a disclosure of PHI to the extent that the information is both identifiable and related to the individual’s health or future health care [0] https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-online-tracking/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance...
dylan604 2y ago
So either I'm closer to paranoid delusional or you're closer to being naive if you don't think that the people receiving this information cannot infer this data from your browsing session.

5 ms·

Link to the actual study cited in the article - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817444 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetwo

by ThaDood 2y ago

wolverine876 2y ago
> is mostly related to website information, not PHI or PII If you are looking for an oncologist or abortions or whatever else, that's PHI. We know well that the industry has profiles on Americans and probably can identify you.
- westpfelia 2y ago
  Exactly! If hospital systems are selling this, who is buying it? Health insurance companies. Then they can judge if they should still cover you or raise your rates.
  - wolverine876 2y ago
    Yes, and many other organizations also want this information. Your detailed profile is valuable, and my impression is that health info is particularly valuable.
malisper 2y ago
Note that website information can still be PHI. From[0]: > if an individual were looking at a hospital’s webpage listing its oncology services to seek a second opinion on treatment options for their brain tumor, the collection and transmission of the individual’s IP address, geographic location, or other identifying information showing their visit to that webpage is a disclosure of PHI to the extent that the information is both identifiable and related to the individual’s health or future health care [0] https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-online-tracking/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance...
dylan604 2y ago
So either I'm closer to paranoid delusional or you're closer to being naive if you don't think that the people receiving this information cannot infer this data from your browsing session.