The effect of privacy upon online health disclosure

How much medical knowledge is stored in each of our own family trees? When family members share health information with one another, does this lead to higher rates of genetic health screening and better health outcomes? Do perceptions about the privacy of health information affect the rate at which we share this information? This work seeks to understand the role played by perceptions of online privacy in the facilitation of health information disclosure among family members. An online family tree web application will permit participants to enumerate close relatives and their health conditions. This online tool will fulfills two roles 1) as a health information tool it will be a valuable resource for discovering potential health risk factors; and 2) as an online laboratory it will provide critical insight into the utilization and sharing of health information by a diverse online population

Faculty Supervisor:

Gerald Cupchik

Student:

Partner:

GeneYouIn

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program: