ECRI releases statement on third-party tracking by hospital websites

Editor's Note

ECRI, on April 10, released a statement saying it is “deeply disturbed” by reports that nearly 99% of US hospitals have third-party tracking on their websites that transfers patient data to technology and social media companies, advertising firms, and data brokers.

Besides the violation of privacy, ECRI says it is concerned that the data will allow “nefarious” people to target vulnerable, severely ill patients with advertisements for non-evidence-based treatments that do nothing or that could cause injury or death.

ECRI is calling on all hospitals to remove third-party tracking from their websites and to alert patients whose health data has been compromised.

“This discovery underscores the need to update health technology and information regulations,” ECRI says.