Running head: DATA PRIVACY 1 DATA PRIVACY 10 Short- and Long-Term Effects of Sharing Personal and Medical Data 1. Introduction The advancement in technology has led to the production of a large volume of human information for economic and medicinal uses. Information plays a significant part in the identification of social issues and helps effective device solutions to daily problems in human life. Although personal and medical info is essential, there are at times when people who have access to the data misuse it for financial gains. When it comes to data privacy, a lot of controversies exists as most people are unaware of their right to privacy. People use internet services where they input sensitive personal or medical data. Most online platforms such as social media have become a significant source of traffic for advertising consumer products and services. Most websites use the information which the users enter and optimize the searches on the internet. Search engines such as Google use browser cookies to direct specific ads to some clients depending on the critical works in the history of individual searches. Online targeted adverts seem like exploitation of internet users or a form of manipulating people to buy some products from an online store. The psychology of the ads employs smart algorithms which use human information to identify what someone likes on the internet. It is a form of attracting potential clients or generating substantial traffic to a website. As the online adverts become a social issue, there is a need for awareness concerning the impacts of sharing personal or medical info over the internet. Some people claim that information leakage leads to misuse of human information and hence there is a need to educate individuals on temporary and lasting consequences of sharing personal info. 2. Personal Data In Europe, personal info means more than human names alone. A simple detail is shown in the identification documents, bills, and other critical documents which reveal the identity of an individual. Information is a broad field of knowledge which helps Europeans to be aware of their cultural identity, internet addresses, and even critical locational data. In Europe and other modern countries with advanced internet infrastructure, an IP address is personal information which is essential for human identification (ICO, 2018). Own names, addresses, and location data identifies are used to keep a human updated with the time of his location since it is provided by the satellites, and hence information plays an essential role in the process of identifying what people who use the internet. Internet service users do love various things which they search on the internet in their life and the intelligence gathered is then applied in designing catchy adverts which generate traffic to people and benefit some individuals. There is various information which people input in website forms to open accounts on th.

1. Running head: DATA PRIVACY 1
DATA PRIVACY 10
Short- and Long-Term Effects of Sharing Personal and Medical
Data
1. Introduction
The advancement in technology has led to the
production of a large volume of human information for
economic and medicinal uses. Information plays a significant
part in the identification of social issues and helps effective
device solutions to daily problems in human life. Although
personal and medical info is essential, there are at times when
people who have access to the data misuse it for financial gains.
When it comes to data privacy, a lot of controversies exists as
most people are unaware of their right to privacy. People use
internet services where they input sensitive personal or medical
data. Most online platforms such as social media have become a
significant source of traffic for advertising consumer products
and services.
Most websites use the information which the users enter and
optimize the searches on the internet. Search engines such as
Google use browser cookies to direct specific ads to some
clients depending on the critical works in the history of
individual searches. Online targeted adverts seem like
exploitation of internet users or a form of manipulating people
to buy some products from an online store. The psychology of
the ads employs smart algorithms which use human information
to identify what someone likes on the internet. It is a form of
attracting potential clients or generating substantial traffic to a
website. As the online adverts become a social issue, there is a
need for awareness concerning the impacts of sharing personal
or medical info over the internet. Some people claim that

2. information leakage leads to misuse of human information and
hence there is a need to educate individuals on temporary and
lasting consequences of sharing personal info.
2. Personal Data
In Europe, personal info means more than human names alone.
A simple detail is shown in the identification documents, bills,
and other critical documents which reveal the identity of an
individual. Information is a broad field of knowledge which
helps Europeans to be aware of their cultural identity, internet
addresses, and even critical locational data. In Europe and other
modern countries with advanced internet infrastructure, an IP
address is personal information which is essential for human
identification (ICO, 2018). Own names, addresses, and location
data identifies are used to keep a human updated with the time
of his location since it is provided by the satellites, and hence
information plays an essential role in the process of identifying
what people who use the internet. Internet service users do love
various things which they search on the internet in their life and
the intelligence gathered is then applied in designing catchy
adverts which generate traffic to people and benefit some
individuals.
There is various information which people input in website
forms to open accounts on the internet. A good example is
social media such as Facebook. The personal information which
people supply concerns what they like, places they visit, and
above all individuals write their contempt in life, and other
human details which can be exploited for financial gains. Some
online adverts employ the use of data provided by clients who
are not aware of the lack of privacy when adverts are posted on
their walls, and they feel it is right. Various companies prefer
advertisements which attract more clients to buying products.
The products could be food, clothes, or living palaces. What is
most controversial in the argument of this paper is the misuse of
critical medical data to reveal conclusions which can lead to
medical issues among some people. As one reads the article,
there are various laws which are sighted in Europe which

3. prohibit the use of medical data without patient’s consent.
3 Medical Data
Medical data is the information which gives details of the
personal data of patients. The report must have names of the
patient and other sensitive data such as telephone numbers,
billing addresses, and bank account names. The sensitivity of
medical data implies that medical practitioners and anyone
responsible for storing patients’ information have to secure it
from theft or changes. For instance, a confusion of patient’s
diagnosis can lead to treatment of the wrong disease and
subsequent consequences which will make a doctor liable for
misconduct, yet it is the information which the doctor uses to
treat a patient that is wrong due to tampering.
According to the World Health Organization policy on the right
to patients’ privacy of data, it is illegal for medical officers to
disclose a patient’s confidential information. The above claim
by Cohen and Mello show the importance which medical
information concerning the right to privacy of data can have
more prolonged effects on medical ethics and medical laws
(Cohen and Mello, 2018). What one can learn from the claim
by Cohen and Mello is that medical information is the private
data for a patient who might be on the hands of medical
researchers, students, physicians, or the public. There is no
distinction between medical data and personal info since both
are synonymous when it comes to a medical practitioner.
Personal info thus implies medical data for both short and long-
term implications of shared electronic information.
4. Means of Sharing Data
Personal and medical information can be shared through
physical or electronic means. Most common ways of sharing
medical information include visual test results such as in
HIV/AIDS and Blood Sugar Level testing. Also, written
laboratory reports or physicians’ descriptions and transcriptions
are forms of physical data sharing. Electronic sharing of data
involves the use of phones, fax, and emails. Through a device
with an internet connection, modern doctors and it becomes

4. critical for information privacy to arouse ethical arguments as
found in research on the use of public media by students
studying medicine and Physicians in helping to enhance the
solving of medical issues.
In their research findings Avcı, Çelikden, Eren, and Aydenizöz
explain how 89.3% of students in the field of medicine use
Facebook for professional purpose. The students can also decide
to make personal blogs where they share medical data to
enhance their learning process. Social platforms, primarily
through the internet are one of the conventional channels for
sharing information among researchers (Avcı, Çelikden, Eren,
and Aydenizöz, 2015). Sharing of information through online
conversations is a strategy for discussions where people can
give their opinions and experiences to other curious parties and
in the end lead to benefits to other people.
5. Importance of Data Sharing
Sharing of information is an essential part of human life. People
learn from other people by acquiring crucial data on methods
and procedures for performing various tasks. Sharing of info
helps in the education of individuals and also the improvement
of human skills. The most crucial aspect of sharing data
concerns product research to improve the quality of goods and
services. In a business setting, client reviews help the business
to give opinions concerning the commodities which people buy
and as a result, the companies make guided choices on how to
manufacture better products. In the field of medicine,
information concerning health conditions, disease symptoms,
and drug reactions assist researchers in disease diagnosis, drug
development, and conducting drug tests. Although medical
researchers are sensitive in nature, some patients volunteer to
be test subjects while others chose to share medical information
to help in disease diagnosis, treatment, and control of vital
health issues. Sharing of data is thus an essential factor which
should be encouraged. However, it is necessary that the consent
of an individual lead to sharing of personal information, unless
there is an intention of jeopardizing data privacy.

5. 6. Risks of Sharing Personal and Medical Data
Berwick and Gaines thus critique the HIPAA Policy issues in
the field of medicine where the doctor has the right to condemn
any form of violation of the patient’s medical data at whatever
cost. Human data which is confidential is the ultimate health
privacy a patient has, which is more than manipulation to give
secret health information which can be used to lure patients to
drug tests, and other exploitations concerning the health of the
individuals (Berwick and Gaines, 2018). Pharmaceutical
companies do need to acquire enough evidence and necessary
information as they make new drugs and types of equipment.
Having prior information concerning what people like and
dislike is the foundation of medical equipment development.
Although there is a high risk that personal information can be
misused when it falls into the wrong hands, it also implies that
some individuals or organizations can use the info to do helpful
work without exploitation of data privacy.
Nevertheless, information must be a personal property whose
right to use is the authority of an individual. In assumption,
there cannot be actual data form non-existence persons. Thus,
one’s information should be given the privacy it deserves. In the
internet, hackers take advantage of insecure data to perform
cybercrimes such as frauds. Electronic information should be
encrypted to prevent theft. The vital aspect of electronic data is
that it can be financial credentials such as bank accounts,
passwords, e-mail, or transaction data. All such kind of
information should be secure to prevent loss or exploitation.
When people share their info and medical data, it is essential
that they ensure only reliable persons have access to sensitive
data. Some personal information such as passwords and pins
should be private, and restricted sharing should be highly
encouraged.
7. Short-Term Implication of Data Sharing
Sharing of data has some implications depending on the
intention and use of the information. Research data play an
important, informative role in solving human issues in the

6. world. There are various databases such as World Bank data and
World Health Organization data which are open for use by other
people. The short-term implications of data sharing are critical
for short period studies by either students or small corporations
which employ research findings from previous researches to
find gaps for more reviews. Students in engineering and science
studies, for instance, conduct small investigations which depend
on survey data from other people. It is through the willingness
of individuals in taking part in the studies that people share
private information with other individuals.
Learning from other people means that there is granted access
to the data and hence sharing is essential for education and
research purposes. According to Kim and Zhang, sharing of
personal data in research surveys has impacts on the
psychological behavior of the targeted population in research.
People decide to give information which is true or a lie
depending on the beneficial aspect of a survey or a study case
(Kim and Zhang, 2015). The short-term impact of data sharing
can, therefore, imply either benefit or loss of confidential data.
It is essential for one to consider how secure information is kept
before sharing it with other people.
8. Long-Term Consequences of Data Sharing
When people share information which leads to learning, more
individuals acquire technical skills for solving living challenges
in life. There are various problems in human life which require
an input of essential data to aid in issue solving. People have to
be transparent by sharing methodologies which can be applied
to solve common social problems. If no information is available
for guidelines in the medical and economic studies, it is clear
that more time will be utilized in finding practical solutions as
trial and error methodologies will be applied in studies.
Data or information sharing can be accomplished through giving
out better design strategies to help curb homelessness, practical
means of innovation to help solve disease and poverty, or actual
procedures to assist in creating more helpful solutions to natural
disasters in the world. As Figueiredo explains in his journal,

7. sharing of information is one of the crucial means of
transformation of life from challenges to essential
opportunities. What the author implies is that people with
helpful information can share during problem investigation and
perhaps aid in the findings of research to give better solutions
for a given challenge in life (Figueiredo, 2017). People are a
great source of information, and ownership of data is dependent
on the human need for intelligence. Sharing data for research
purposes in the field of medicine is a life-saving contribution.
9. Conclusion
Personal and medical information is an essential part of human
properties which require being kept safe from theft,
interference, or exploitation. Personal data does not differ from
medical data, because information of an individual is similar to
the medical information of a patient. The slight variation is that
medical data is more critical in comparison to simple personal
details. Medical data might have confidential information such
as disease diagnosis, genetic info, and personal health issues
which must be kept secret. It is an offense for individuals such
as doctors, or the state government to track human information
through electronic devices or internet without the targeted
person having an awareness of infiltration of data privacy. The
HIPAA and the US v. Graham, 824 F.3d 421 (4th Cir. 2016)
case law reveals the importance of data privacy and also
criticize the abuse of the human right to information privacy.
Such information from cross-section investigations, research
terms and internet policies indicate the likelihood of privacy
violation of patients’ rights of privacy. Medical data is,
therefore, of vital importance and perhaps mentioning patient’s
names or any linking info to anyone is a breach of the right of
privacy.
Doctors should ensure they fight to safeguard their patient’s
rights amidst pressure to violate professional ethics. What is
clear is that students could be people who are learning through
medical researches which are empirical but manipulate certain
patients to personal blogs for health services for gifts. The

8. long-term and short-term effects of the use of personal and
medical info can be applied in the field of medicine, ethically,
to ensure there is more development of health policies which
prohibit access of other people’s data which is crucial for their
health. There is a need for transparency of medical application
of social media in exchange for patient’s health records or
medical issues against a patient’s consent. Moreover, it is a fact
that some patients such as children and psychologically affected
patients.
References
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Assessment of medical students’ attitudes on social media use
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Berwick, D. M., & Gaines, M. E. (2018). How HIPAA harms
care, and how to stop it. Jama, 320(3), 229-230.
Cohen, I. G., & Mello, M. M. (2018). HIPAA and protecting
health information in the 21st Century. Jama, 320(3), 231-232.
Figueiredo A. S. (2017). Data Sharing: Convert Challenges into
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doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00327
ico.org.uk.What is personal data?. (2018). Retrieved from
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Kim, Y., & Zhang, P. (2015). Understanding data sharing
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and data repositories. Library & Information Science
Research, 37(3), 189-200.
US v. Graham, 824 F.3d 421 (4th Cir. 2016).