Consumer Willingness to Share Personal Digital Information for Health-Related Uses

Key Points Question What factors are associated with consumers’ willingness to share their digital information for health-related uses? Findings In this survey study of 3543 US adults, consumer willingness to share digital data was associated with a range of factors, most importantly the source and type of data. Certain data (eg, financial, social media, public cameras) were viewed as more sensitive than electronic health record data, but underlying views on digital health privacy were strongly associated with consumer views on sharing any digital information. Meaning In this study, many consumers were reluctant to share their digital data for health-related uses, suggesting that new privacy protections may be needed to increase consumer trust.

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