As the Reuters bureau chief for the Balkans living in Serbia from 2008-2011, Adam Tanner grew accustomed to maneuvering in the shadows in places with authoritarian tendencies in the hopes of illuminating what was really happening in government and society. Turns out his experiences attempting to uncover practices of the data industry aren't much different in that way.
"Having also worked for five years in Russia in the 1990s, I would say the similarities are that there are many opaque corners of these societies that authorities would rather not shed light on," said Mr. Tanner, author of "Our Bodies, Our Data," his second book on the topic of the data industry. "Similarly, many in the big Health data bazaar would prefer to continue their lucrative trade without much public attention."
The fact that the Health, pharma and medical data sector, not unlike the data industry as a whole, is less-than-transparent is no secret. In fact, the subject has been covered here in Ad Age (which, coincidentally, has its roots in the medical industry through Crain's very first publication in 1916, Hospital Management).
Mr. Tanner, a writer in residence at Harvard University's Institute for Quantitative Social Science and Snedden Chair in Journalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, realized while writing his first book about the labyrinthine data industry, "What Stays in Vegas: The World of Personal Data ‑ Lifeblood of Big Business," that the health data sector was its own black box to peek into, warranting its own book dedicated to the topic.
In his research he uncovered the fascinating history of the world's leading provider of health data, QuintilesIMS, known as IMS Health before a $9 billion merger between IMS Health Holdings and Quintiles Transnational Holdings last year. He addresses privacy questions about how sensitive data is "anonymized," and delves into the players and processes that gather, combine and sell pieces of data representing the medical lives of just about anybody who's visited the doctor, filled a prescription, or signed up for a health insurance plan.
Ad Age interviewed Mr. Tanner about his attempts to uncover health data practices, and whether he thinks rules guiding security and privacy could use a fresh look.
Ad Age: You refer often to the fact that people working in the health and medical data field are reluctant to discuss their practices. It's true that the sector, not unlike the broader data industry, tends to be on the defensive, particularly when asked about privacy issues.
