healthmedicinet

Daily News and Tips

Got an unexplained itch or lump? DON’T use the web to diagnose yourself: Major health websites found to be ‘leaking’ personal information

  • Researcher used interception software to monitor 20 health websites
  • Websites he followed included WebMD, Men’s Health, and NHS UK
  • Found that all 20 sites used software that enabled it to track its users
  • 13 of the 20 websites had one or more tracking element while five of the 13 sites also enabled social media button tracking
  • The study made clear that there is no evidence that any company is misusing
    the information that web users ‘give’ them
  • But said failure to address concerns may
    diminish trust in health-related websites and reduce the willingness of people to use such websites

By
Rachel Reilly


PUBLISHED:

10:20 EST, 18 July 2013

|

UPDATED:

12:26 EST, 18 July 2013

Next time you develop an embarrassing itch or lump, you might want to reconsider turning to health websites to diagnose your symptoms.

A researcher has discovered that a number of major health websites are ‘leaking’ web users’ search terms to third-party advertising and marketing companies.

And while there is no evidence that the information obtained is being misused, Professor Marco Huesch said that failure to address concerns about his findings may diminish trust in health-related websites.

Enlarge

 
The study made clear that there is no evidence that any company is misusing the information that web users 'give' them

The study made clear that there is no evidence that any company is misusing the information that web users ‘give’ them, but said failure to address concerns may diminish trust in health-related websites and reduce the willingness of people to use them

In theory, he said, the data could make it possible to identify an individual user’s health conditions.

Professor Huesch, of the University
of Southern California-Los Angeles and Duke business school, used freely
available interception software to monitor 20 leading health websites.

Popular websites used in the research included WebMD, Weight Watchers, Men’s Health and NHS UK.

By entering search terms such as ‘herpes’, ‘cancer’ or ‘depression’ into their search engines, he discovered that all 20 sites used at least one method to track its users. Shockingly, on average the sites used six or seven different ways to track their webpage visitors.

A ‘tracking element’ is a long-acting computer script that reports to a third party – such as an marketing company – about a user’s online behaviour on a website.

Professor Heusch also found that 13 of the 20 websites contained one or more tracking elements while five of the 13 sites that had trackers had also enabled social media button tracking.

No tracking elements were found on doctor-oriented sites closely tied to professional groups however.

WEBSITES THAT WERE FOUND TO USE ‘THIRD-PARTY TRACKING’ ELEMENTS

A ‘tracking element’ is a long-acting
computer script that reports to a third party – such as a marketing
company – about a user’s online behaviour at a website.

NHS

MedicalNews Daily/Mdlinx

WebMD

Weight Watchers

Drugs.com

Health.com

Men’s Health

Foxnews: health

New York Times: Health News

PubMed

MedlinePlus

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Cancer Institute

‘A patient who searches on a “free” health-related website for information related to ‘herpes’ should be able to assume that the inquiry is anonymous,’ wrote Professor Huesch.

‘If not anonymous, the information knowingly or unknowingly disclosed by the patient should not be divulged to others. Unfortunately, neither assumption may be true.’

Huesch worries that the data passed on to third parties could be used in combination with tracking and other information obtained from social media websites to create highly revealing profiles of individual users.

‘In theory, someone could build up a very powerful document with all of your medical conditions, the drugs you’re taking, where you work, who your relatives are, where you live, and other personal information,’ Huesch told The Verge.

He is not entirely against targeted
advertising however – a common tactic employed by many sites to allow
advertisers to serve-up ads based on a user’s browsing history.

He just believes that the current situation, where the industry largely polices itself, is not ideal.

‘There’s a balance to be found there, but right now, we’re too far in one direction.’

Heusch made it clear in his write-up however, that he has no evidence that any company is misusing
the information or creating the profiles he described.

But he still believes action needs to be taken.

He said: ‘Failure to address these concerns may diminish trust in health-related websites and reduce the willingness of some people to access health-related information online.’

Huesch’s findings were published in a research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.

  • GRAPHIC CONTENT: Pensioner shoots dead black neighbor, 13

  • Bill Maher booed for Zimmerman joke

  • Korean woman filmed being abused in nightclub by westerners…

  • Over 272,000 dominoes fall to set record

  • CCTV footage shows moments before pregnant Olympian dies

  • Chinese dance students perform ballet gymnastics display

  • Air Force captain’s shocks family with scuba homecoming

  • Beyonce to fan: Put that camera down and sing!

  • Thrill seekers ride 1,300 ft high Grand Canyon Swing

  • Some Red Neck Heaven skin at ‘Anything But Clothes’ party

  • Students ‘dragged and hit by teacher’ for being naughty in…

  • Brady in 2011: Hernandez ‘a lot to handle’

  • Tragedy: Meskerem Legesse gave up running after finding out she had heart problemsHeavily pregnant former Olympian, 26, suddenly collapses and…

  • June St. Clair,How to undress for your husband: LIFE publishes step-by-step…

  • World War ZFrom the courtroom to the silver screen: Scottish solicitor…

  • Jailed: Rashia Wilson, who boasted about her tax fraud scam, has been sentenced and her $90,000 Audi has been towedFlorida’s ‘First Lady’ of tax refund fraud gets 21 years in…

  • Al Sharpton and Aisha McShaw attend Kedar Massenburg's 50th Birthday Celebration at Water Fall Mansion on February 28, 2013 in New York City. ‘I’m his girlfriend’: Rev. Al Sharpton dating 35-year-old…

  • Viktor Sedov, a senior violinist at Russia's Bolshoi Theatre, died from his injuries in hospital after falling into the orchestra pitRussia’s Bolshoi Theatre suffers new tragedy after violinist…

  • Ever wonder what your favorite ice cream flavor says about you? The Smell Taste Treatment and Research Foundation have conducted a study that identifies exactly what some ice cream flavors suggest about your personality. If you like vanilla you’re impulsive but Rocky Road…

  • Missing: Two-year-old Isaiah Theis wandered from his family's home on Tuesday and has not been seen sinceBody of missing 2-year-old found by police a day after he…

  • Last night the rock star was in Ibiza for a music festival, and appeared unfazed by the allegations about his private life.Revealed: The blonde New York Times journalist who is suing…

  • Sitting: Sgt Rusiate Bolavucu sat on the ground as a mark of respect for the Queen as she visited Kendall, CumbriaPictured: Moment Fijian soldier sits down when he meets the…

  • Last Picture: Stephen Rakes looks over his shoulder as he leaves the courthouse after attending the trial. The trial of James Murdered by the mob or suicide? Victim of Whitey Bulger is…

  • Sentenced: The 25 year old Norwegian woman was raped on a business trip and thrown in Dubai jail when she reported itNorwegian woman who reported being raped in Dubai is jailed…

The comments below have not been moderated.

The best one to use is netdoctor.co.uk. They do not ask any personal information. I diagnosed my own skin rash from there, and the doctor said I was correct in my diagnosis.

ENGLISH1ST
,

EXETER, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 20:26

Report abuse

I do not care who knows about my piles.

ENGLISH1ST
,

EXETER, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 20:23

Report abuse

When I had a really bad spate of Migraines I did a little research first, then went to my GP, when I told him I had looked up the symptoms and various treatments online ( I like to be informed as to what’s available ). He said that ” I shouldn’t take to much notice of website’s….all they want to do is to sell you their products”…He looked somewhat taken aback when I handed him a list of the websites I’d looked at….which included the Mayo clinic in America. But at least it got him to take a closer look at me….and referred me to a specialist, I’m very grateful he did…I ended up being treated at the London Migraine clinic ( now the National Migraine Centre ).

Charles
,

London, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 20:08

Report abuse

I am not surprised. The NHS website asks you to input personal information before you can use it which I find intrusive.

Sue
,

St Albans, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 20:08

Report abuse

Our NHS records are flogged to all and sundry anyway, so who`s going to worry about this- only our doctors who find it harder to fob us off with the knowledge we glean from such health sites.

Guffaw
,

London, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 19:42

Report abuse

OMG! I had my appendix removed for nothing then. It was just some bad Sushi.

Resnam
,

Sandbanks,
18/7/2013 17:38

Report abuse

I had some itchy spots appear on my abdomen so I went immediately to my doctor. Glad I did as it was shingles. The antibiotic prescribed cleared the infection with no lasting effects. You don’t want to mess with shingles as they can cause misery for the rest of your life.

stephen ottridge
,

Vancouver, Canada,
18/7/2013 17:21

Report abuse

No, they don’t know about you, they know about the computer. I share my computer with my wife. So to them I’m menopausal with prostate issues. Make sense of that.

Fred
,

Fredville, United Kingdom,
18/7/2013 16:48

Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.