On this edition of ST Medical Monday, we listen back to a fascinating show from January. At that time, we spoke with author Adam Tanner about his then-new book, "Our Bodies, Our Data: How Companies Make Billions Selling Our Medical Records." As was noted of this volume by Kirkus Reviews: "[This is] a disturbing look at the threat to privacy created by the lucrative and growing health care data-mining industry. In his previous book...[Tanner] took a broad look at the enterprises that gather and sell computer-generated data on consumers. Here, he zeroes in on the trade in patient medical information, discovering that an industry dealing in intimate personal information is very closemouthed about its own inner-workings. Tanner is a persistent and experienced researcher, however, and the information he gleans paints an alarming picture. As doctors and hospitals adopt electronic health records, companies operating these systems sell the information to data-mining enterprises, who in turn are making big money marketing the data on millions of patients to insurers, makers of medical devices, drug manufacturers, physicians, and attorneys." You can learn more about this volume, and can access a free, on-demand audio-stream of our chat with Adam Tanner, at this link.
"How Companies Make Billions Selling Our Medical Records" (Encore Presentation)
