—”Foolish the doctor who despises the knowledge acquired by the ancients.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

The ancient Greek father of medicine, Hippocrates, knew that trust was a fundamental tenet for the effective practice of medicine. How can a patient seek the care of a stranger without the establishment of a fiduciary trust? Patients must reveal the most personal, private information about themselves and therefore must possess the utmost confidence in their physician to keep their information in confidence and all uses of their data transparent. Yet, in today’s digital social-media age, does privacy really exist? Large companies make unfathomable fortunes harvesting all manner of data from financial information to the mundane minutia of daily life. In this environment, here are five reasons why patient data privacy and control are more important than ever.

1. Maintain the fundamental fiduciary doctor-patient relationship

 “Things that are holy are revealed only to men who are holy.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

It’s critical for the health-care system to maintain the trust between doctor and patient in a patient-centric dynamic. If patients believe that information they give their doctors and health-care professionals — and by extension, the large health-care institutions — is going to be used against them and not in the patient’s best interest, then patients will be reticent to provide needed details for their own health and well-being. That hurts the quality of their own health care. If patients believe in the ultimately altruistic interests of their doctors, they will be more likely to provide critical details and take an active role in their care. There is great financial pressure in the health-care industry to use algorithms to automate care decisions to reduce costs, thereby increasing institutional and industry profits. The doctor-patient relationship prevents direct access of industry-designed algorithms that could work more in the interest of industry profits, rather than to improve patient health.

2. Higher data quality

“Conclusions which are merely verbal cannot bear fruit, only those do which are based on demonstrated fact.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

The equation is simple: higher-quality data means higher-quality medical care. One of the advantages of the digital age is the ability to synthesize huge amounts of data quickly. However, the data used must be accurate. Electronic health records are known to contain many errors, and patients can ensure accuracy of their personal health data when they have access to check it. With patient trust through data-use transparency and data control comes more detailed and better data in, better and more accurate and precise conclusions out. 

3. Bringing back fairness and balance to current industry-centric data monopolies

“… while calling on the gods, a man should himself lend a hand.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

We see a data “gold rush” given current U.S. data and privacy regulations, and many large companies have made fortunes by making their customers into their commodity. They sell consumer data non-transparently to unidentified entities that use the data for uncertain purposes with ambiguous ethics, creating a data economy with network effects favoring a few platforms able to collect and lock up the largest masses of personal data. The data being recorded about patients forms a remarkably detailed picture of their life. This picture is incredibly valuable when unified and stored both as a singularity and in conjunction with thousands, even millions of other lives. These pictures reveal patterns that permit the personalization of medicine, insurance, finances, and more, but the question is, who owns and controls this valuable picture? And what about the risks associated with massive data leaks through hacking and other data breaches? Transparency and personal-data controls are keys to creating a balanced and fair patient-centric digital data economy that promotes diverse and open competition.

4. Ensure patient access to their data

“A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

Patients’ control of access to their own data is needed for a number of reasons. First, it promotes data exchange across health-care systems to ensure access to critical health data wherever the patient may seek care. Health-care systems should be required to provide patients with their full medical record in electronic form and in a timely manner. Those systems who do not comply should be held accountable for data-blocking. If we make sure patients control their data, it will allow them to choose health-care systems or associated third parties, thereby redistributing data across the economy to allow smaller companies, who may be more ethical and have better solutions, to compete. In addition, patients could allow researchers access to their personal data. Many researchers currently have trouble gaining access to data now in data silos created by industry purchases and other private-sector agreements. Researchers do not have access to big data needed to discover tomorrow’s cures and medical advancements. Last, patients who are more engaged in their own health care tend to have better health outcomes overall, and patient data access allows patients to become more engaged in their own health. 

5. Preserve basic human rights

“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” — Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC – 377 BC) 

The “Right to Privacy” is a fundamental human right as declared by the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafted after WWII that has been adopted around the world. When this declaration was adopted in 1948, the world had not yet imagined our new digital age. Recently, however, some prominent leaders who remember the excesses of totalitarian regimes, have started to work to sharpen public opinion and remind us that our privacy is indeed a basic human right. The right to privacy and control of data about our bodies is essential to preserving the dignity and respect of each individual, as well as trust in the medical community. In the digital age, it will become the fiduciary duty of each doctor to protect the digital data privacy rights for each patient as a basic human right.

 We are entering a new technological era for health care where we must commit to new standards of patient data privacy, data-use transparency, and personal-data control. We have outlined five key reasons why this general topic is now more important than ever. It will take many years of work on the part of academics, health-care systems, industry, and government to fully assimilate all associated ethical, societal, technological, and business considerations to assure that we manage patient data in the right way.                                             

Founder and CEO of Cubismi, Dr. Moira Schieke is a cancer imaging clinical and research radiologist based in Madison, Wisconsin. 

In a fast-paced business world, people often don’t have time to stop for lunch, let alone take care of their teeth. 

But dental professionals say it’s well worth carving out some minutes for your mouth during the busy day — every day.

No matter how crazy your days are, you deserve excellent oral health and a beautiful, healthy smile. But consistently neglecting your teeth and gums during long days in the office can be very costly both from a health and financial standpoint.

Many people don’t realize there are lots of ways to take care of your teeth during the work hours, no matter how busy you are.

Here are five on-the-go dental health tips.

Keep water close 

Water neutralizes the acid in your mouth in addition to keeping you hydrated. Too much acidity leads to enamel erosion, decay, cavities, and gum disease. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day. Keep a water bottle or water glass on your desk as a reminder. 

Store oral essentials at your desk 

This means keeping a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss handy in a drawer. After any meal or snack, our teeth and gums require attention to remove bacteria, and keeping these dental tools on hand will ensure you’re readily equipped. Too many people go an entire work day without any oral care.

Snack on naturally cleansing foods 

Eating on the run at work can lead to sugary snacks that compromise oral health. Packing healthy items such as apples, carrots, celery, and almonds is recommended. Not only are these foods full of great vitamins and minerals for your teeth and body, they also naturally cleanse your teeth. Crunchy snacks like these help scrape away food or plaque stuck on your teeth.

Sip beverages thoughtfully 

It’s not just what we drink at work that affects our teeth, but how we drink certain beverages. Keep a reusable straw in your desk. Whenever you opt for a beverage, use a straw to help limit the chance of tooth decay and staining. Place the straw toward the back of your mouth to keep the liquid from coming into contact with your teeth.

Relax your face 

The stress of a busy day causes tension in your head, neck, and jaw. Consistent tension in the jaw can lead to TMJ. Take time at your desk to relax your jaw and face muscles. Use your fingertips to gently massage your jaw, open and close your mouth a few times, and stretch your tongue forward to the top front teeth, and then up to the roof of your mouth.

 Taking moments here and there for self-oral care, throughout your busy day, can make a big difference. It just means a little more planning, and taken individually, they are small things that can prevent major problems.         

Nammy Patel, DDS (www.sfgreendentist.com) operates a practice called Green Dentistry in San Francisco and is the author of “Age With Style: Your Guide To A Youthful Smile & Healthy Living.” Dr. Patel focuses on helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole-body health.