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Social Association Curious trend of digital self-monitoring
According to the social association SoVD, the trend to collect one's own body data carries considerable risks. The president of the association, Adolf Bauer, warned against an "unsuspecting use of health data".
Curious trend for digital self-monitoring
There are apps that measure heart rate and metabolism, others serve as a blood pressure monitor, pain diary, pills alarm clock or nutrition guide. The trend towards self-monitoring with the help of health and fitness apps and technical gadgets like bracelets is constantly increasing. Among other things, they are used to control training or increase motivation or to document the sleeping behavior, the calorie intake or the daily pace.
Criticism of the trend towards digital self-measurement now comes from the social association SoVD. As the news agency AFP reports, Association President Adolf Bauer warned against "guileless handling of health data". In addition, health politicians criticized considerations of statutory health insurance to subsidize the purchase of fitness knives such as the Apple Watch.
Trend for self-measurement: Social Union warns of the consequences. Image: Bernd Leitner - Fotolia Many members of the fund could be disadvantaged
SoVD President Bauer told AFP that the potential of digital self-measurement is recognized by the health insurers, which vied for young and healthy insured persons. This development is rated very critically by the social association. The SoVD is warning of an "efficiency delusion" that could lead to higher insurance premiums for disadvantaged people. Chronically ill patients, for example, would have little chance of participating in fitness programs.
Economically disadvantaged people are often unable to meet the requirements of modern lifestyles. For many it would not be possible to eat as well as financially better off persons.
Insured do not play against each other
"Undoubtedly, in many cases, it makes sense to log life data and thus be responsible for one's own health," said Bauer. "But this must not lead to abandoning the basic idea of the solidarity community." Preventive health protection should not be a private risk at all. The SoVD president warned: "In the worst case, a penalty system for those who can not keep up." The development is observed by his association "very carefully", private and public funds are warned against "playing the insured against each other".
"Marketing measures of the cash registers"
Health insurance policy makers are reluctant to subsidize the purchase of fitness equipment. As Union Fraction vice Georg Nüßlein (CSU) told the "mirror": "I support good prevention programs, but I think nothing of marketing measures of the funds at the expense of contributors." The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach considers such a bonus also "questionable". He told the magazine that the funds wanted to woo well-educated, young and healthy members.
Up to 50 euros grant for Apple Watch
The discussion was triggered by reports about the AOK Northeast, which subsidized the purchase of an Apple Watch. The health insurance pays according to the information up to 50 euros. However, it is said that the data collected by the clock should not be transferred to the cash register. The data dissemination has long been rated very critically, only recently fitness apps of the health insurance were criticized by the data protection officer.
The sensitive data could possibly be used later to calculate risk premiums. After the AOK Northeast subsidy became known, competitors of the cash register had announced that they would examine similar offers. As a "very questionable bloom of the health insurance competition" the considerations were criticized by the left-health expert Kathrin Vogler in the "mirror". (Ad)