In India, Apps Track Every Medicine You Take, And Your Data Is An ‘Asset’
Electronic Medical Records are becoming more widespread in India, but with a lack of medical data law, or a general data protection law, highly sensitive information is up for the taking.
BENGALURU, Karnataka — A healthcare digitisation startup, partly-owned by a health management service provider, tracks your medical prescriptions and stores your information forever, at a time when India has no laws governing what companies can and cannot do with your sensitive medical information.
Sounds like a nightmare?
Doxper, a Bengaluru-based healthcare startup, is just that: the company provides doctors with a bluetooth enabled pen and customised notepad that automatically photographs your prescription as your doctor writes it down and then uploads it to a cloud-based server maintained by the company. Soon after the appointment the patient receives an SMS on their cell phone with their prescription.
Worryingly, the company signs a click-through user-agreement with doctors, but not with the patients whose sensitive medical records the company stores — possibly in violation of rules framed under the Information Technology Act 2000, section 5 of which mandates companies get explicit user consent before gathering patient information.
Doxper stands out thanks to its use of a smart-pen, but the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) is growing in India, with input methods ranging from novel solutions like automatic transcription, to tablet devices where the doctor enters all the patient information, to old-fashioned PC software. Some competitors include PurpleDocs, Webmedy, HealthLink, and many more smaller providers.
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