A relatively big name in telemedicine is facing a relatively big scandal related to its inability to keep certain important kinds of user data protected.
The Babylon Health app, which is now integrated into the UK’s National Health Service infrastructure, has admitted that a glitch in the programming allowed some users to view other users’ video sessions.
Although the company said only three users were affected, it also enumerated that 50 individual sessions were exposed to outside eyes.
In the United States, this would be a HIPAA violation par excellence. As healthcare companies and even third-party business associates are repeatedly warned to avoid any giving up any protected health information, the Babylon Health story looms large. It may have only affected a few users, but the nature of this exposure is pretty egregious. Imagine watching someone else’s telemedicine session!
Here’s another reason this story is getting some attention. James Vincent at the Verge points out that the company is quickly making its mark on telehealth, and that the application is a major component of tech applications in the medical sector.
“Babylon Health is one of many new players in the international telehealth space, a market that has become more important as the ongoing pandemic limits in-person contact. The firm’s app provides a number of services, including chatbot-based diagnoses of basic ailments and video consultations with doctors via its “GP at Hand” feature,” Vincent writes.
However, it hasn’t been all wine and roses for the firm: going back to last year when the app was introduced, you actually have street protesting by doctors over its design and implementation, as well as suggestions that users can “cherry pick” easy cases.
“The doctors behind the protest are unhappy with the way the NHS structured its rollout of the smartphone app GP at Hand, which they say has created extra work and confusion among the patients,” wrote Anne Zieger at HealthcareITToday, at the time.
If you have holdings in the medical sector, it’s best to keep an eye on how privacy violations like this can move markets quickly – and revise your outlook on Babylon Health.
