Moving Fast And Breaking Things—How Some Health Care Startups Are Putting Patients At Risk | Opinion

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector concerns everyone. Opinion pieces on the ability of AI to manage patient needs. Physicians debate and advocate how it can be used in their practice, and patients wonder how it will affect the quality of their care and their bills. But the truth is, the big bad monster at the healthcare industry's doorstep isn't machine learning lags; Without a doctor at the helm leading the charge, it's a real threat to innovation.

Trust is the foundation of an ethical healthcare system that provides an environment where patient well-being is paramount. But as healthcare startups attempt to transform the way they treat patients, there are serious concerns about commercial interests taking precedence over patient outcomes.

Innovation is the key to promising new treatments and therapies that will change millions of lives, but failure to involve healthcare professionals in new healthcare business initiatives puts patients at risk. To this end, healthcare professionals must take an active role in protecting patient safety and privacy by ensuring that healthcare startups operate in an ethical and patient-centric manner.

Health care is more complex than any other field and demands the highest standards of ethical practice. There is no room for trial and error when life is at stake, and it is unacceptable to misuse patients' personal information for profit. However, we are seeing new business models developing at an alarming rate without regard to ethical healthcare practices. It's this “scale up at all costs” approach that blurs the lines between profitability and patient outcomes. Investors and managers find themselves in control without the strategic advice of experienced medical professionals.

The pursuit of growth is a business imperative, but it eats away at patient care, and these "mistakes" take away the motivation to make patient outcomes the #1 priority. This is a serious risk, especially with controlled substances or weight loss medications.

One hospital may be HIPAA compliant, but thousands of accountants and administrators can access patient records at any time. It is not a question of compliance, but of ethics and quality of service in practice. A well-marketed health tech startup may offer bells and whistles at an affordable price, but affordable services can make you look like a product rather than a patient.

The modern patient has come a long way. people come to meetings after thorough research and not always on a trusted platform. They place higher demands on the care they receive and have unlimited access to information, resulting in a unique type of preparation. If a patient says they "want" a particular drug or treatment and the initial benefits of that choice, what is stopping them from choosing their preferences over patient care and advocacy?

At the same time, patients need to consider the information they are disclosing and their level of comfort with it. A medical history can affect the rest of your life. Could the disclosure of certain information affect your family, your job or your career? It is the provider's duty to protect the interests of the patient. This includes requiring transparency around data handling and safety protocols, challenging dubious marketing claims, and ensuring companies prioritize evidence-based medicine and patient safety.

Patient data is sold as the primary source of revenue, but this model is inherently unsuitable for healthcare systems. Patients share their personal information with physicians to meet their medical needs, and this trust and the standard of care must not be compromised.

We must make the most of the influence and expertise of healthcare professionals, ensuring that they are used to improve the well-being and interests of patients at every stage. As trusted custodians of patient data, healthcare providers have a responsibility to ensure companies prioritize privacy and maintain strong data security protocols.

This is a great opportunity for all healthcare professionals to rebuild as we create a new ethical system. And it is very important to emphasize the responsibility of the patient in these changing situations. Patients should feel well enough to study and prepare for appointments; As a consumer, due diligence must be done in determining how and where to interact, challenge and trust. At the same time, startups must take steps to ensure data security and patient-centric ethics with healthcare professionals in advisory and decision-making roles.

Without a goal that informs the future of this healthcare company, we are lost in the gray conflict between data consumption and data exploitation. As technology continues to evolve and ethical issues around data privacy become more important, service providers must put health first and not shy away from our promise to do no harm, standing firm in the face of profit.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

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