Here is what it said:
MEDIA ALERT
29 JUNE 2018
29 JUNE 2018
HealthEngine takes data privacy concerns on board, affirms commitment to best outcomes for patients
Dr Marcus Tan, founder and CEO of HealthEngine, has written to HealthEngine practices and health industry peak bodies to put the record straight and reassure them with respect to recent media reports about HealthEngine’s management of user data.
Dr Tan said: “These reports have created the incorrect impression that the health and personal information of HealthEngine users is being widely shared with third parties without their knowledge. This simply is not true.”
As the operator of an online health marketplace, HealthEngine believes that users benefit from having the choice to receive relevant and timely information about certain products and services. Users may elect to have their details provided to third parties for referral purposes by an express opt-in or verbal consent.
These value-added services aim to be helpful for users along their healthcare journey.
HealthEngine has referral and advertising arrangements in place with a range of industry partners, including government, not for profit, medical research, private health insurance and other health service providers.
Referrals do not occur without the express consent of the user.
Users can still use HealthEngine’s booking services without agreeing to be referred to a third-party service provider.
“We at HealthEngine are devastated by the developments of recent weeks because we feel our mission of a connected healthcare ecosystem that empowers the world’s best care experiences and the cause of digital health in Australia as a whole has been set back,” Dr Tan said.
“We are passionate about improving the healthcare system and the role digital health can play in revolutionising the access and experience of healthcare, which ultimately leads to better health outcomes.
“As we have grown to serve millions of Australians every year and help them get better access to healthcare, we have invested heavily to scale our systems, people and processes to accommodate our growth and recognise the impact we now have.
“This is a large responsibility and one we don’t treat lightly nor take for granted.”
Dr Tan said: “Nevertheless, we acknowledge that, despite being well intentioned and trying to innovate in health care, recent media coverage has damaged the trust we have built up over many years with our users, customers and industry partners.
“Health care is a sensitive area and we have heard the feedback we have received from our customers and users that they are concerned about data privacy.”
In order to restore the public’s confidence in HealthEngine’s management of user information, HealthEngine has decided to make substantial changes to its business model around advertising and referrals.
HealthEngine is finalising the arrangements underpinning these changes and is on track to make an announcement within the next week.
Moving forward, HealthEngine will continue to consult with its users, customers, industry partners and relevant regulators to deliver better health outcomes.
Dr Tan said: “We sincerely hope that by taking the steps we are about to take and by being open to more feedback and learning that we can regain that trust and continue to have the opportunity to deliver value to the healthcare sector and millions of our users in better ways than we have done before.”
ENDS
For media queries, please contact:
Cannings Purple
Level 1, Brookfield Place Tower 2
123 St Georges Terrace
Perth WA 6000
Level 1, Brookfield Place Tower 2
123 St Georges Terrace
Perth WA 6000
----- End Release.
Talk about monstrous obfuscatory spin. They should have just said “we goofed, took you for granted, we are very sorry and we will stop it!”
Why a release talking about steps you are about to take to remedy such a severe lack of trust that the very existence of HealthEngine is imperiled?
Personally I would dump the spinners from Cannings Purple and just come out and say that all sharing of client information of any type other than with the relevant receiving practices is now over and that our business from now on will be fee for service / ethical advertising based.
Doing that just may permit survival. Anything less and it will all be over. The game has changed for all online service providers big time in the last year or so. HealthEngine needs to catch up!
David.
PS. Just after this release arrived we also have this appear:
The company, which acts as an online booking engine for medical practices, said it had notified those affected as well as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
It blamed the breach on “an error in the way” its website operated, saying that information “ordinarily not visible to users on the site” was accidentally exposed in the webpage’s code.
Of the 59,600 pieces of feedback, 75 contained identifying information about a site user.
However, the company said no usernames or passwords were impacted and “no action is required to be taken by users of the site”.
“HealthEngine has worked around the clock to investigate how the information was improperly obtained, what patients might have been affected, and the steps required to further address the matter,” CEO Dr Marcus Tan said in a statement.
More here:
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/healthengine-reveals-data-breach-496175
Not a good look.
D.
PS. Just after this release arrived we also have this appear:
HealthEngine reveals data breach
By Ry Crozier on Jun 29, 2018 4:51PM
Patient feedback information 'may' have been accessed.
HealthEngine has revealed a data breach in which 59,600 pieces of patient feedback “may have been improperly accessed”.The company, which acts as an online booking engine for medical practices, said it had notified those affected as well as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
It blamed the breach on “an error in the way” its website operated, saying that information “ordinarily not visible to users on the site” was accidentally exposed in the webpage’s code.
Of the 59,600 pieces of feedback, 75 contained identifying information about a site user.
However, the company said no usernames or passwords were impacted and “no action is required to be taken by users of the site”.
“HealthEngine has worked around the clock to investigate how the information was improperly obtained, what patients might have been affected, and the steps required to further address the matter,” CEO Dr Marcus Tan said in a statement.
More here:
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/healthengine-reveals-data-breach-496175
Not a good look.
D.
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