Who Owns Your Health Data? Two Interventions Addressing Data of Wearable Health Devices among Young Adults and Future Health Clinicians

Abstract

Mobile health monitoring devices (MHMDs) have become widely integrated into our personal lives as well as healthcare delivery. However, less attention is paid to individual consumer and clinician awareness, knowledge, and agency, in regards to the privacy and security of data from wearable devices. Two cross sectional intervention studies assessed cybersecurity attitudes, risky cyber behaviors, and mobile health monitoring device dependence among undergraduate students and future health practitioners. The video based intervention used in study two was effective in changing attitudes toward cybersecurity (n =165, t-test, p ≤ 0.001) where study one’s paper-based intervention was not (n = 200, t-test, p = 0.347). In both studies, improved attitude toward cybersecurity was associated with increased risky cyber behavior (p ≤ 0.001, r s=0.334 and p = 007, r s=0.228, respectively). Attitude was associated with device dependence in study one, but not study two (p ≤ 0.001, r s=0.263 and p = 0.432 respectively). Attitude toward cybersecurity varied by self-identified social class (ANOVA p = 0.005), with those in the upper/upper middle class having a more positive attitude than those in the middle class (p = 0.009) and the working/lower class (p = 0.048). Both studies indicated participants felt the need for more awareness and knowledge of risks, suggested personal experiences were their leading factor in changing cyber behaviors and attitudes, and that consumer knowledge, industry standards, as well as policy change are needed to increase the security of data being generated by wearable health technologies. Health practitioner and consumer awareness and knowledge of data security is a critical issue as personal and identifiable data continues to be commodified.